Pope Francis: Rev. Father Campbell Reacts To Cardinal Turkson's Chances As The Next Pontiff

• Rev. Father Andrew Campbell has reacted to the demise of Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88
• When asked about the chances of Cardinal Turkson becoming the next pope, he stated that God would make that decision
• Social media users who took to the comment section of the video have shared their views on the possibility of Peter Turkson becoming the next Pope

The Resident Director of the Weija Leprosarium, Rev. Father Andrew Campbell, has also reacted to concerns regarding who should be the next pontiff following the death of Pope Francis.

This comes after the retired Catholic priest, in an interview with Joy News on Monday, April 21, was asked by the interviewer about the chances of Ghana’s Cardinal Peter Turkson becoming the next Pope.

In a quick response, he did not rule out the possibility of the former Archbishop of Cape Coast leading the Catholic Church, but emphasised that the decision on who becomes the Bishop of Rome will be made in the future.

He added that the choice of the new Pope will be made by God.

"One does not know the future. We don’t know who is going to be elected and what positions various individuals will take. That is in the hands of God. We don’t know what will happen. We are just waiting to see who the new Pope is and what his vision will be for the Church. We have to wait and see."

Cardinal Turkson has been labelled as one of the front runners to become the next pontiff following the death of Pope Francis.

Profile of Cardinal Turkson

Cardinal Turkson was born into a religious household on October 11, 1948, in Wassa Nsuta, Western Region of Ghana, to a Catholic father and a Methodist mother.

He received his seminary education at St. Peter’s Regional Seminary in Cape Coast, Ghana, and later attended St. Anthony-on-Hudson Seminary in New York, USA, as well as the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.

In 1975, Cardinal Turkson was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Cape Coast.

He was elevated to the role of Archbishop of Cape Coast on October 6, 1992, and was consecrated on March 27, 1993.

He also served as President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference from 1997 to 2005.

Cardinal Turkson was elevated to the role of Cardinal by Pope John Paul II on October 21, 2003.

During his time at the Vatican, Cardinal Peter Turkson held various significant roles, such as President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, a position he held from 2009 to 2017.

From 2017 to 2021, he served as the Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

He became the Chancellor of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences in April 2022, a role he still holds.

At the time of writing this report, the video had raked in over 10,000 views and 11 comments.

Watch the video below:

Reactions to Cardinal Turkson's chances of becoming pope

Social media users who took to the comments section of the video shared opinions on who should become the new pope.

Opanyin Kwaku A Eldad commented:

"Someone is announced dead today and the Ghana media only thinks about positions? Ei, how?"

Dizoba Martin Lolonyo indicated:

"Death is bound to happen, and as far as he's dead, it shouldn't hold them back from making decisions."

N Y Fodel replied:

"Be professional for once, at least for your own common sense. Why this question in the heat of the moment when everyone is still mourning the demise of the pope? Ooo, bibini de3."

Kwabena Appiah wrote:

"We don't need any black person to be the Pope... when Americans cried for a black president, Obama came, and they used him to pass same-sex marriage into law, held the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, and also introduced GMO seeds to Africa. So, allow them to do their own thing there, wai.".

Italian Serie A calls off games over Pope’s death

Earlier, Yen.com.gh reported that Serie A had announced the postponement of four league matches following the passing of Pope Francis.

The governing body announced the postponement of four Serie A match week 33 fixtures that were scheduled for Monday.

A statement issued by Serie A said the decision was made in coordination with government authorities and the Vatican.

Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh