"Africans Ready for African Pope"

I was just on CNN and saw this interesting article "Africans ready for African Pope". This was the first time I have heard anything about Africa getting their own pope. I do believe that it is an interesting issue. The African continent faces many different and specific issues that are not universal. Having a pope for the continent could help bring religion to a more applicable and realistic level. More than 80% of Africans surveyed say Africa is ready for an African pope, but fewer believe the world is ready.  When interviewing different people from around the African continent, responses varied: 

"I don't have a problem [with it], but will he stop the ongoing war in some African continents?"

"He may be like the rest of them and just stay in the church; anyway they don't make any difference in Africa."

"An African pope will bring about more unity on the continent and confidence in Africans."

When examining what the African continent hopes to see from the next pope, CNN reports:

"The poverty in Africa is shocking and sinful; the social condition of the continent is perplexing, and the human suffering is not only unacceptable, but also inexcusable... Many Africans hope that the future pope will challenge his fellow African bishops and priests to become the voice of the voiceless, and to not live above the people or exploit their vulnerability."

"African Catholics expect the next pope to raise the bar of ethical, prophetic, sacrificial  and servant leadership in African Catholicism-- to hoist the banner of righteousness and moral rectitude, and political activism and solidarity. To lift millions of Africans from the pit of poverty so that they will have a voice and contribute in building a better society."

"The African church should be a church of the poor, a church with the poor, a church for the poor that si on the side of the poor so as to give them a voice." 

It will be very interesting to see how these two issues pan out over the next few weeks.