VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis’ former point man on migrants has drawn criticism by saying in an article published Sunday that some African cardinals make him “shudder” and that he believes “conservatives” are calling for an African pope to further their agenda. 

Cardinal Michael Czerny, a Jesuit who served as prefect at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in the last years of Pope Francis’ pontificate, made the derisive comments to The New York Times in the context of the African continent being deeply opposed to the LGBTQ agenda.

“I can think of some African cardinals — they make me shudder,” Cardinal Czerny said in the article published May 4. When the newspaper asked whether conservative Catholics were rallying behind an African pope as a “Trojan horse” to further their agenda, Cardinal Czerny replied: “Certainly, certainly, certainly, and that’s why it’s so, so, so stupid to say things like Africa’s time has come.”

It is not clear to which particular African cardinals Cardinal Czerny was referring. Several are known to be papabili, such as Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, former chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. 

It was also unclear if the cardinal’s comments were taken out of the context in which he had said them. The cardinal gave similar, yet more moderate, comments in a separate interview to America magazine, recorded on April 30. 

He said he becomes “agitated” when people say it is time for an American, African, or “South Islander” pope. “I think that is so stupid,” he opined. “It’s time for the successor of Peter for 2025.” The priority, he added, “is evangelization; to bring the Gospel to society in season and out of season; to bring the Gospel to all of creation.”

The Czech-born Canadian cardinal is currently now unreachable for comment, as he is taking part in the conclave.

His comments came ahead of remarks made by Bishop Robert Barron, founder of the Word on Fire Catholic media ministry, who, by contrast, believes geography is important in relation to the papacy, especially when it comes to Africa.

He explained to EWTN’s Colm Flynn on May 5 that the Church is flourishing in Africa, especially in Nigeria, where around 94% of Catholics go to Mass, vocations are booming, and the Church is facing persecution. 

“Why are we so preoccupied with the Church in Germany, where the Church is kind of withering on the vine?” Bishop Barron asked. “Why don’t we study the Nigerian Church, and see what they’re doing, right, and let’s imitate it?” 

“So, yes, I think it might be the African moment,” the bishop continued. “And I do think in the synods during the Francis years, the Africans found their voice in a fresh way.” 

Embolden African Cardinals

Cardinal Czerny’s comments are likely to embolden African cardinals who have never welcomed such animosity to their traditional stances on moral issues, especially when it comes to homosexuality. 

This became clear during the furor over Fiducia Supplicans, the 2023 declaration allowing non-liturgical blessings of same-sex couples, when Africa’s Catholic bishops rejected the Vatican document.

It was also readily apparent in 2014, when, in the context of homosexuality being a taboo in Africa, German Cardinal Walter Kasper caused uproar and provoked accusations of racism when he said (and then falsely denied) that Africans should not tell the Church in the West “too much what to do” regarding homosexuality and other such issues currently acceptable in secular Western culture. 

Dominican Father Anthony Alaba Akinwale, deputy vice chancellor at Augustine University in Ilara-Epe, Nigeria, acknowledged that “some persons will not feel comfortable about a pope from Africa,” despite the fact that the Church is flourishing there and is “a thing of joy.” 

Noting that “some people hold the heretical view that nothing good can come out of Africa,” he told the Register that he was not concerned about having an “African pope” but, rather, given current ecclesial and global concerns, he hoped and prayed that the College of Cardinals would elect “a wise, holy and most suitable successor of Peter.”  

“That successor may come from any continent,” Father Akinwale said. “Like Peter in the First Reading last Sunday, he must have the courage to stand before the Sanhedrin of today and boldly declare the truth of the Gospel even when it is neither popular nor ideologically convenient to do so.” 

Register senior editor Jonathan Liedl contributed to this story.