When Pope Benedict XVI kicks off his four-day visit to the UK with a greeting from the Queen at Holyrood House in Edinburgh on 16 September, he will be accompanied by a gaggle of cardinals known as “Princes of the Church”. And, if high-level leaks are correct, among them will be a handsome, modest and very intelligent man who is a potential contender to be the next pontiff. If that were to happen Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson would be the first African pope for 1,500 years.
Speculating on the next Pope? How orginal, must be a slow news day.
Although its a pleasant read about a cardinal of whom I knew nothing, it does seem odd to run an article about him. There is no indication why he is being singled out for a newspaper profile. The article doesn’t seem to be part of a series on papal contenders, so why is Cardinal Turkson receiving special attention, and why now?
BTW, I guess the word “tearaway” is used in Britain, but here in the US I think it is unknown. Looking the word up online suggests that the word is pejorative: a reckless and impetuous person. Granted, Cardinal Turkson has had a meteoric career… but is he really a tearaway?
I find it pretty interesting that his name is Peter, in the light of St Malachy’s prophecies.
catholic-pages.com/grabbag/malachy.asp
To be clear, I’m not so sure these prophecies are true.
Slightly OT
I do find it interesting that Pope Benedict appeared to “keep the prophecy going” by choosing his pontifical name (conciously? unconciously? )
I dunno.
I thought it was a college of Cardinals, not a gaggle. I guess if you have just a group of random Cardinals it might be a collage of Cardinals instead.
:rotfl: Good one! :rotfl:
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I take offense to the term “gaggle” but perhaps I’m being too thin skinned.
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I feel uneasy about speculating on a new Holy Father when the current Pope is still very much alive.
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I get an overall uneasy feeling about this entire story.
Having said my piece, I’ll take my leave.
You want more interesting facts? According to Wikipedia, Peter Cardinal Turkson had two coconsecrators named “Peter” for his episcopal consecration: Peter Cardinal Dery and Peter Cardinal Sarpong.
Ahh, then the prophecy could apply to one of them, instead 
On the contrary, it just stresses how “Peter” he is.
I suspect most other contenders are not African. For better or worse, he is therefore of greater interest to readers than your average papabile from Italy, Spain, Belgium, or wherever.
The Bishop of Rome is from Poland.
The Bishop of Rome is from Germany.
The Bishop of Rome is from Ghana.
Will the Bishop of Rome ever be from Rome, again, I wonder?
I don’t know why I’m complaining; I live in Buffalo, New York, and the Bishop of Buffalo is never from Buffalo.
I would like to see an African pope, however. I think that would help demonstrate to the church that God is not white. Wouldn’t it be something to have a black pope and a black president of the United States at the same time? We would really, as a people, have to stand back and shake our heads at that one, and then, frankly, give ourselves a little bit of a pat on the back for evolving (and I don’t mean that in a Darwinian sense, of course). Perhaps “maturing” is the better word.
Since most popes seem to have been cardinals, I would think anyone chosen to be pope has probably spent quite a bit of time in Rome.
I’m kind of glad that the Italian stranglehold on the papacy has ended. At least I hope it has… I think the Church would benefit from a pope who was not from Europe or North America.
But who was that Ghanaian pope that you mentioned? 
Interesting also they’re use of a ‘gaggle of cardinals’ as in a gaggle of geese?
Isn’t it a little premature to start speculating on who Benedict’s successor will be? Slow news day indeed.
Very interesting and like he says ‘Why Not?’ Strangely what struck me besides the use of the word gaggle in referring to the gathering of the cardinals; is having a pope my age.
I have a hunch that all the speculating won’t matter at all when the next pope is chosen. The Holy Spirit will surpise us all.
Excellent point 
That’s what I thought! I was born in the same year–and they are calling him young.
Whomever the next pope might be, I’m in no hurry to see him. I’m perfectly content with the one we have at the moment.
With respect to the length of Pope Benedict XVI’s reign, Semisonic’s Made to Last says it best: “I hope you last a long, long time.”
Viva il Papa.