African Pope Possible

PAPACY: GHANA'S CARDINAL TURKSON ONCE AGAIN A FRONTRUNNER

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Ghana's Cardinal Peter Turkson is seen as one of the church's most influential men from Africa, where Christianity is quickly growing, and which some believe could be the birthplace of the next pope.

The 76-year-old, born into a humble family of 10 children, is the first clergyman from the west African country to receive a red hat, having been made cardinal in 2003 by John Paul II.

Turkson currently serves as chancellor for two pontifical academies, that of sciences and social sciences.

Even before former pope Benedict XVI's surprise resignation in 2013, the cardinal had been considered Africa's frontrunner for papal contender – generating countless speculative headlines about the first black pope.

But Turkson demurred in a 2010 interview: "I wouldn't want to be that first black pope. I think he'll have a rough time."