Bishop Kukah: Africa Must Win World Cup Before Pope Election

Matthew Kukah, the Bishop of Sokoto, has suggested that before advocating for the election of an African pope, supporters should focus on achieving a World Cup victory.

Kukah emphasized that choosing a pope is not akin to a turn-based system, dismissing the idea of it being an ‘Emilokan’ situation.

He expressed these views during an interview on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm.

Additionally, Kukah shared insights from his time in Rome and discussed the potential effects of a new pope on Africa and the global community.

When questioned about the feasibility of insisting on the need for an African pope, Kukah remarked: “First, we should aim to win the World Cup. There’s still a considerable journey ahead of us.”

“In the past, I commented on the speculations surrounding the death of Pope John Paul II, particularly regarding Cardinal Arinze being a leading candidate.”

“However, as mentioned, the process of electing a pope is not a matter of a turn-taking system, where one would say, ‘It’s now our turn.’ It simply isn’t structured that way.”