On Easter Monday, Rome awoke in silence. St Peter’s Square, usually alive with prayer and flashbulbs, was full of mourning believers. The bells rang, and the word went around: Pope Francis was dead.

At daybreak, it was official from the Vatican. The man in white, who had held the world’s attention, had passed away.  

But now, everyone looks up, not into the sky, but at the chimney. The world holds its breath in anticipation of smoke.

This time, it will not be simply a matter of the colour of the plume. It could be a matter of the colour of the man who emerges onto the balcony. 

For the first time in living memory, the College of Cardinals is openly divided, not over doctrine but history and colour.

In the months leading up to the Pope’s abrupt passing, whispers became more insistent: “Is the Church ready for a Black Pope?”

Today, that question looms over the Basilica itself. Africa has the numbers. One out of every five Catholics now lives on the continent.

The churches are full. Vocations are rising. Faith is no whispered ritual, it is life, it is hope. And yet, in 2,000 years, not one African has worn Peter’s ring on his finger.

For many, now is the moment to end that silence. 

Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana and Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea are promising candidates.

Their supporters argue that they will represent the Global South well. They speak the language of hunger, conflict, peace, and hope.

They do not theorise poverty; they have lived with it, battled it, and preached in its shadow. If elected, one would not just be the first Black Pope, they would be the first to take the Global South to the global centre.

This would mean more than symbolism; it would upset the given order. True Africans consistently maintain that the Global South needs to speak for itself, instead of being spoken for by others.

A Black Pope would be proof that dignity needs no permission, and that justice knows no race or geography.  

In Africa, hope is in the air. Believers pray from Accra to Addis Ababa, not just for a leader but for recognition. It is not a privilege they ask for, but a truth long delayed.

It would be a healing, not only for the Church, but for history. Yet still, there is resistance. Some call for continuity, safety, and a face that the West can recognise.

But smoke has no colour until it ascends, and they say that the Church is a home for all believers. 

The conclave is expected to happen within 15 to 20 days of the papal vacancy. The doors will shut. The world will wait.

When the chimney puffs, the question will rise as well: is the world prepared to look up and see a Black Pope gazing back?

For Africa, this would be more than a turning point, it would be a comeback, of voice, of vision, of value. It would not be just faith but the struggle to be heard. 

The writer is a lawyer and a  Human Rights Advocate