As conclave looms, major Catholic nations may be passed over again
In the nearly 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church, most popes have come from Europe, even though there are countries in South and Central America, Asia, and Africa with significant Catholic populations. Mapping the world’s Catholic population reveals that some countries − with Catholic communities larger than those in many European nations − have yet to see a pope from their ranks.
There have been 266 popes throughout history, of whom 4 in 5 were from Italy. A handful of popes came from North Africa and the Middle East, but they were elected in the early centuries of the church, during the time of the Roman and Byzantine empires.
“To have leadership that comes from around the world, we get to see depth of understanding of Catholic teachings,” said Neomi De Anda, a professor at the University of Dayton who studies Catholicism among Latin Americans.
“Not to say that it's different around the world, but gives it a little bit of flavor, nuance and specificity that can sometimes help us see more deeply the teachings of the church.”
Pope Francis, who died April 21, a day after Easter, was the first from Latin America, a region where several countries have a Catholic supermajority. His birthplace, Argentina, is nearly two-thirds Catholic, home to more than 30 million Catholics.
But a review of Catholic populations by country shows that Brazil, Mexico and Colombia all have strong Catholic communities: 140 million, 101 million and 38 million, respectively. Brazil’s Catholic population is larger than the combined Catholic populations of Italy, France, and Spain.
In Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has the largest Catholic populations on the continent. In Asia, the Philippines stands out, with more than 85 million Catholics, or nearly 80% of the population, which makes it the third-largest Catholic population in the world after Brazil and Mexico. The United States is the fourth on the list.
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The Philippines, however, might be closer than ever this time. Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, 67, from Manila, is widely considered one of the leading candidates to succeed Francis.
All told, the other top candidates who could be elevated to the zenith of the Catholic Church are four Italians, one Spanish, one French, one Ghanaian and one Maltese.
De Anda said that while there is a “radical difference” between the primarily European leadership of the Catholic Church and its membership, Francis was a bridge between the two because of his Argentinian roots and Italian heritage. Having Francis − someone who shared cultural background with many Catholics − at the helm was a powerful way to show people they were being cared for, she added.
“The biggest impact is having someone who speaks a language − and not just an oral language or a spoken language but a cultural language − that we find among many Latin Americans,” De Anda said.
In the next few weeks, the election will unfold in a secret gathering called a conclave, which is convened after a pope dies or resigns. The process is a spectacle marked by oaths of secrecy, smoke signals and the final moment when the senior cardinal deacon steps onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and declares: "Habemus Papam."
"We have a pope."