Leo XIV's election and why no pope has ever come from Africa

Pope Leo XIV greets the crowd from the popemobile before a Holy mass for the beginning of his pontificate, in St Peter's Square in the Vatican, on May 18, 2025. [AFP].

White smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney on the evening of May 8, 2025 after Cardinal Robert Prevost, 72, was elected the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. Taking the name Pope Leo XIV, the American prelate succeeds Pope Francis, who died last month at 88 after 12 years leading the world's 1.3 billion Catholics.

"I am humbled by this sacred responsibility," Prevost said in his first address from St Peter's balcony. "I ask for your prayers as we walk together as pilgrims of hope in these challenging times."

Born in Chicago to parents of Spanish and Irish descent, Prevost becomes the first American pope in history. His election follows five ballots among the 132 cardinal-electors who gathered in conclave on Monday.

Prevost's elevation has reignited longstanding discussions about representation within the Church's highest office. In its two-millennium history, the papacy has been occupied exclusively by men, predominantly Europeans except for Francis (Argentina). No pontiff has ever come from Africa or Asia, despite these continents now representing the Church's fertile grounds.

"The election reveals both progress and limitation," said Josephine Kamau, professor of ecclesiology at Catholic University of Eastern Africa. "The College of Cardinals is more diverse than ever, yet the papacy remains constrained by traditions that many Catholics question in light of contemporary understandings of equality."

Critics point to what they characterise as systemic barriers that have historically limited papal candidates to white or European men. Before Francis's efforts to diversify the College of Cardinals, over 60 per cent of cardinal-electors were European. Though that number has come down, European and North American cardinals still command approximately half of those eligible to become pope.

"This isn't simply about individual prejudice," argues Father James Martin, a Jesuit priest and author. "It's about institutional structures that have evolved over centuries that can inadvertently perpetuate patterns of exclusion."

Church traditionalists reject characterisations of exclusion as unfair, emphasising that papal selection follows theological principles rather than secular notions of representation.

"The Church isn't a democracy or corporation subject to quotas," said Cardinal Raymond Burke in a pre-conclave interview. "The college prays for divine guidance to select the man - and yes, it must be a man according to Church teaching - best suited to lead Christ's Church regardless of nationality or ethnicity."

The Vatican has repeatedly asserted that restrictions on women's ordination stem not from discrimination but from Christ's example of selecting male apostles and the Church's understanding of the priest acting "in persona Christi" (in the person of Christ).

Pope Francis, despite his progressive reputation, reaffirmed in 2020 that the question of women's ordination was "closed" by Pope John Paul II's 1994 apostolic letter, which declared the Church has "no authority whatsoever" to ordain women as priests.

Some Catholic scholars question whether the Church's exclusionary practices regarding gender and its teachings on sexuality can be reconciled with its advocacy for human dignity and equality in other arenas.

"There's an inherent tension," explains Dr Maria Gomez-Santillan, theologian at Georgetown University. "The Church champions human rights globally while maintaining internal practices that would be considered discriminatory in secular contexts. This creates a credibility gap for many, especially younger Catholics."

The Church distinguishes between what it considers immutable divine law and changeable human traditions. Even though the late Pope Francis took a more idealised stance toward LGBTQ+ followers - politely questioning "Who am I to judge?" - he never meant to change the hardline church position that holds homosexual acts "immoral and shameful" maintaining that marriage can only be between a man and woman. As opposed to popular belief based on some misconceptions, the Catholic Church has neither used its podium to support same-sex marriage nor ordained women. It maintains that this inclination has been consistent despite evolving social attitudes.

Analysts opine that Leo XIV must adopt these chasms along with other dilemmas confronting Catholicism today. Thus, the new pope ought to steer a Church that is increasingly global in outlook yet still localised in practice by European-centric tendencies. Whether Leo XIV extends Francis's appetite for gradual reform or charts his own voyage remains to be seen.

The new pontiff begins his reign facing questions about how an ancient institution reconciles its traditions with contemporary aspirations and expectations of inclusion and representation.

Indeed, every pope faces the dual quagmire of preserving inviolate, the deposit of faith while making it relevant to new generations. Pope Leo XIV will need to face these issues of representation while maintaining the sanctity of a diverse, global Church.