Is this man the next Pope?

His name is Peter Turkson. He is 64 years old, born in Ghana, son of a carpenter, sent to study for the priesthood at the age of 13, educated for a time in a seminary near Albany New York, and made a Cardinal in 2003.

Three years ago, when Pope Benedict appointed him to head the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, he said, “If God would wish to see a black man as the pope, thanks be to God.”

Today he is considered the top candidate to replace Benedict the XVI, which would make him not only the first African Pope, but the first Pope in a very long time to have a former Pope watching him. In 2012 he gave the commencement address at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, New York.

“When I was appointed to this office, I sought audience with the holy father and he told me, leaders of the church need to be pastoral workers and not politicians.”
　
And yet he hasn’t shied away from commenting on hot button issues. In 2011 he accused large corporations of “lust” and said that persuading African farmers to use patented seeds “stands out like a new form of slavery.”

On matters of sex, he told U.S. Catholic that right now, in the African communities he’s familiar with the idea of tolerating homosexuality or encouraging the use of condoms are non-starters.

Of course as a cardinal he is obedient to the current Pope, whereas if he BECAME Pope, he could change any of those things.