White Smoke White Pope: Race, Ethnicity & Stereotyping at the Papal Conclave

Sistine Chapel, Apostolic Palace, Vatican City
March 12-19, 2013

By Frederick Nnoma-Addison

The world seemed extremely pleased with the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. By choosing the name Pope Francis to indicate his unique style and commitment to the poor, the new pontiff became the instant darling of the world and a religious celebrity in his own right. It wasn’t the choice of Pope Francis as the next “vicar of Christ” that was problematic but rather the methodology and symbolism used in the election process, which reeks of stereotyping, more than the Catholic Church would want to be involved in.

The papal conclave of 2013 was convened to elect a pope to succeed Benedict XVI following his resignation on February 28, 2013. After the 115 participating cardinal-electors gathered, they set March 12, 2013 as the beginning of the conclave. Since the two-thirds majority needed to elect a pope was not reached on the first day’s single ballot, there were two additional rounds of voting the following morning. Both second and third rounds ended without a pope being chosen, and black smoke fumed out of the Sistine Chapel chimney. It was the fifth ballot that concluded the process and elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, as Pope. Then at 7:06 pm local time (2:06pm US Eastern Time), white smoke announced to the world that a pope had been chosen. Shortly afterwards the Vatican web site published the Latin words “Habemus Papam” – we have a Pope. The Cardinal Protodeacon Jean-Louis Tauran appeared at the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and formally announced the election of the new Pope and his chosen regnal name. Pope Francis finally made his appearance, and asked the people to bless him before he blessed the world, concluding the conclave. Hispanics were particularly ecstatic because this time it was one of their own. Blacks would have been equally ecstatic had it been one of their own too.

This tradition of the “smoke signal” used during conclaves dates back several centuries. It is low-tech, tried and tested, historic, and electrifying. It also has the potential of being environmentally unfriendly. Since between 1-2 billion of the earth’s population is black, tan, or colored, it is impossible for me to overlook the implications the black smoke out of the Sistine Chapel has on the black race. The colors black and white have some universal connotations some of which are notorious and even controversial. These two colors have generated heated debates and severe interracial problems since the beginning of biblically recorded human history.

“Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman.” – King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.) – Numbers 12:1

There were 11 African/black cardinal electors at the just ended conclave; I choose to call them “Popefuls” – pope hopefuls, or wannabe popes. Aside wondering how they felt about “losing” to Pope Francis, I also wonder how they honestly felt about the use of black to symbolize incompletion and failure to elect a pope, and the use of white to signify victory and accomplishment. The Bible uses white as a “heavenly” color, to describe the Great White Throne (Revelations 20:11-15) and the White Horse, (Revelations 19:6-11). There are countless occasions recorded in the Bible where angels appear in white therefore the churches use of white to signify victory is consistent with the Bible.

Black as a negative color or as the color symbolizing failure or an unaccomplished goal however does not originate from Bible. Considering the fact that the Christian Bible teaches about God creating Adam and Eve from the dust of the earth – Genesis 2 – one would think that black or tan would be the world’s preferred color. The negative notion about black seems to be largely defined by human prejudice, as we have seen it towards black people in the United States, in Africa and around the globe. Universal terminologies like black box (aviation industry), black sheep, black plague, black market, black day, black future and black death make the Catholic Church’s use of black smoke during the conclave stereotypical, to say the least. In this context black (smoke) is used to signify failure and lack of accomplishment, two characteristics still used to describe people of color everywhere, despite historic advancements and achievements by this race throughout human history.

Africans account for 16% of the world’s catholic population compared to 39% from the Hispanic world. The total number of blacks or tanned Catholics in the Americas, Asia, and around the world makes blacks an even larger and more significant constituency and the Catholic Church recognizes that. Prior to the election there were speculations of a black pope, cardinal Turkson of Ghana – 64 – being front runner. This idea of a black Pope was not misplaced or exaggerated. It resonated with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, in 2004, when he told German TV that “we are ready for a black pope” and called Africa the “spiritual lung of the world.” He repeated the same thing in 2009 during his visits to Cameroon and Angola.

While only 11 of the 115 elector cardinals are African (compared to 60 from Europe and 33 from the Americas), it is widely believed that they presented a united front in the conclave and therefore had a realistic chance of electing one of their own. The names and nationalities of the 11 African / Black cardinal electors are listed in the order their photographs appear above (L-R).

Peter Turkson (Ghana); John Onaiyekan (Nigeria); Antonios Naguib (Egypt); Polycarp Pengo (Tanzania); Wilfrid Napier (South Africa); Anthony Okogie (Nigeria); Gabriel Zubeir Wako (Sudan); Théodore-Adrien Sarr (Senegal); Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya; (Democratic Republic of Congo); John Njue (Kenya); Robert Sarah (Guinea)

Many Africans, Africans-Americans and non Africans could not have envisaged a black Pope 10years ago; but now they do, possibly because the United States has even elected a black President on two consecutive occasions.

Pope Francis has been described as a Pope of many firsts. He is the first Latino, first Jesuit, first in recent times to wear a wooden cross, and even the first Pope with a known high school sweetheart, according to the allegations of one woman. Perhaps he should be the first to review the ancient tradition that unfortunately perpetuates negative stereotypes against people of color. My suggestion for the new vicar is as follows. No smoke at all to symbolize no Pope, and white smoke to symbolize a new Pope.

Today – March 19, 2013 the Vatican will hold an installation mass for Pope Francis and display the new pontiff’s coat of arms and fisherman’s ring. More than 132 government delegations and representatives from major religions will attend the historic event and I join the faithful in wishing the pontiff and the Catholic Church the best in a new dispensation.

U.S. Dedicates New Chancery in Senegal

U.S. Embassy Photo

Office of the Spokesperson
Department of State
Washington, DC

March 15, 2013

In an important symbol of America’s commitment to an enduring friendship with Senegal, U.S. Ambassador to the Republics of Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, Lewis Lukens, dedicated the new U.S. Embassy in Dakar today. Occupying a 10-acre site near Pointe des Almadies, the $181 million multi-building complex provides a centralized location for the mission, as well as a state-of-the-art, environmentally- sustainable workplace for embassy personnel.

The architect of record for the project was Page Southerland Page of Arlington, Virginia, and B.L. Harbert International, LLC of Birmingham, Alabama, was the construction contractor.

The new facility incorporates numerous sustainable features to conserve resources and reduce operating costs, most notably an extensive system of 1,290 photovoltaic panels; solar control shading devices to reduce solar heat gain and energy cooling costs; and on-site treatment of wastewater that is reused for irrigation. The facility has been registered with the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) with enough points to earn LEED Gold certification.

Since 1999, as part of the Department’s Capital Security Construction Program, OBO has completed 97 new diplomatic facilities and has an additional 37 projects in design or under construction.

OBO’s mission is to provide safe, secure, and functional facilities that represent the U.S. Government to the host nation and support our staff in the achievement of U.S. foreign policy objectives. These facilities should represent American values and the best in American architecture, engineering, technology, sustainability, art, culture, and construction execution.

African-American Leaders in Maryland Unite to Strengthen their Community

Photo: AMIP News

The Wiley H. Bates Legacy Center
Annapolis, Maryland
March 14, 2013

By Frederick Nnoma-Addison

Only two weeks after the observation and celebration of African-American history month – February – in the United States, approximately 60 African-American leaders in Anne Arundel County, Maryland have held a meeting to review the state of their community and address the challenges facing it. The caucus representing clergy, business, labor, sororities, elected officials, and civil rights groups committed to work together to improve their community in the county. The meeting was appropriately held at the Wiley H. Bates Legacy Center and Memorial in Annapolis and was attended by the County’s Police Chief – Larry W. Tolliver and the new Publisher and Editor of the Capital Gazette, Pat Richardson and Steve Gunn respectively. [Photograph above was taken after the meeting and represents only a cross section of meeting attendees]. The leaders first came together in January to support former County Health Officer Dr. Angela Wakweya, who they believe was unfairly removed from her position by the then-County Executive John R. Leopold who is now serving a jail sentence himself for misconduct while in office. Dr. Wakweya who was the first African-American to head the County’s 81 year-old health department is a naturalized U.S. citizen from Uganda in East Africa.

Making the introduction Carl Snowden, Member of the Board of Directors, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee and Host of Upfront & Personal recounted this recent history of unfair treatment of blacks in the community and stressed the need to work together so that such an incident never occurs, “on our watch”.

Almost 50 years after the signing of the Civil Rights Act (1964), the historic March on Washington led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and 100 years after the birth of Rosa Parks, also a Civil Rights Activist, African-Americans who represent about 12% of the national and County population still face discrimination and race-related challenges. By convening this meeting and dialoguing with the Capital Gazette and the Police Chief the caucus hopes that this will be a first step in addressing disparities and discrimination in hiring and distribution of resources among other concerns. The caucus is scheduled to dialogue with the new County Chief Executive, Laura Newman, at 5pm on April 10th at the same venue.

Anne Arundel County

Anne Arundel County is named after Anne Arundell (1615-1649), a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state. In 2010, its population was 537,656, a population increase of just under 10% since 2000. Anne Arundel County forms part of the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area.

City of Annapolis

Annapolis is the capital of the state of Maryland in North East United States, and the county seat of Anne Arundel County. Located just 29miles east of Washington, DC, It is a diverse, world-class city open to tourists and business people from around the world. Annapolis is also home of the United States Naval Academy, founded in 1845. Described as America’s Sailing Capital and the gateway to North America’s largest estuary – the Chesapeake Bay – its location makes it a prime destination for water-tourism. The Bay is a source of bountiful seafood and a host of sailing, boating, recreational sports-fishing, and water-sports activities to residents and tourists from around the world. Also described as a “Museum without Walls”, it is a lively, contemporary city where four centuries of architecture embrace 21st-century living. The city has trendy boutiques and specialty shops amidst 18th century brick buildings especially in the Historic Downtown area.

Annapolis is noted for proudly celebrating African & African-American heritage. It is home to important monuments like the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial, the Banneker-Douglas Museum (Maryland’s official repository for African-American heritage), the Thurgood Marshall Memorial, and the Coretta King Memorial Garden located on the campus of Sojourner-Douglas College.

The Wiley H. Bates Legacy Center and Memorial

The Wiley H. Bates Legacy Center and Memorial are part of a $27 million dollar complex called The Wiley H. Bates Heritage Park which opened in a public celebration in September 2006. The Legacy Center is dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of Wiley H. Bates High School (1932 to 1966), formerly the only high school for African Americans in Anne Arundel County. It is a unique cultural arts heritage center displaying historical documents and collections that preserve the African American experience. http://www.whbateslegacycenter.org

Ghanaian, Nigerian & Sudanese Among 2013 Internet Freedom Fellows

Office of the Spokesperson
Department of State
Washington, DC

March 8, 2013

The U.S. Department of State welcomed the 2013 Internet Freedom Fellows to Washington, D.C. March 10 -13. This program, in its third year, was sponsored by the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva and brought online journalists, and human rights activists from across the globe to meet with fellow activists, U.S. and international government leaders, members of civil society, and the private sector to engage in discussions on freedom of expression, Internet freedom, technology, and human rights.

The Fellows began their program on March 4 in Geneva, participating in meetings with human rights professionals, diplomats, media and civil society, as well as an event at the UN Human Rights Council. Their stay in Washington, D.C., hosted by the State Department Bureau of International Organization Affairs, featured meetings with Department officials, civil society groups, media, and more. The Fellows concluded their program in Silicon Valley with meetings with leading technology companies engaged in promoting human rights globally, and a public seminar at Stanford University.

The 2013 Internet Freedom Fellows are:

                     Mac-Jordan Disu-Degadjor of Ghana

                             Edetaen Ojo of Nigeria

                          Usamah Mohamed of Sudan

The rest are: Michael Anti of China; Grigory Okhotin of Russia and Bronwen Robertson of New Zealand.

For more information on the Internet Freedom Fellows visit http://www.internetfreedomfellows.com/

















 

Former Snr. U.S. Diplomat (Frazer) Warns U.S. Of Risk Of Being Alienated in Kenya

File Photo
By Kennedy Kangethe, 12 March 2013

Nairobi — A former senior diplomat under President George W. Bush has criticized the United States for not formally recognizing Uhuru Kenyatta’s victory in last week’s elections. Jendayi Frazer, a former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs said the US and Europe were playing a dangerous game for their delayed endorsement of Kenyatta’s presidency. “If the US, the UK and the Europeans don’t want to deal with Uhuru Kenyatta, he has another option,” she cautioned. Speaking in an interview with American TV channel PBS, Frazer said that Kenya is a strategic partner to the United States and a key ally in the fight against terrorism in addition to being East Africa’s economic hub.

“Many American businesses like FORD, General Electric and others are based there so it’s key to the region as whole,” she said. However, she warned that the West risked losing it’s strategic influence in the region.”The geo-strategic environment has changed entirely and particularly (in favor of) China. The Chinese have changed the playing field (and) if the US, the UK and Europeans don’t want to deal with Uhuru Kenyatta, he has another option,” she explained.

Frazer who says she has been to Kenya twice this year said the fact that the Chinese ambassador and Foreign Ministry have already welcomed Kenyatta by referring to him as President-elect.

Frazer accused the US, Canada and Britain of meddling in Kenyans domestic affairs by threatening to put trade sanctions to Kenya, if they elected Kenyatta.

“They are in a bad situation because prior to the election, they threatened the Kenyan electorate by saying ‘if you elect Uhuru Kenyatta, there will be consequences; we may put trade sanctions,’ which was extra ordinary because the case for Kenyatta is not proven,” she explained.

She said that the diffusion of power, the expectations about the new institutions as well as the lessons learnt from the 2007 General Elections had accounted for the lack of violence this time.

Frazer also explained that the tribal competition is still imminent and that this election was based on community voting for “their boys”.

“The need for healing and reconciliation is still much there in Kenya,” she said.

Secretary Kerry’s Statement on Formation of New Tunisian Government

Department of State
Washington, DC

March 13, 2013

The United States welcomes the establishment of a new government under the leadership of Prime Minister Laarayedh. We encourage Tunisia’s leaders to work together quickly to finalize a constitution that respects universal human rights, and to develop a plan for elections so Tunisians can vote on their country’s future. Announcing a fixed election date will provide clarity about the direction of Tunisia’s democratic transition and will help stabilize the political, security, and economic situation. We look to the Government of Tunisia to foster an environment of justice and accountability that is conducive to a free and fair election process, including freedom of the press and access for domestic and international observers.

The United States remains a friend of the Tunisian people and will continue to support the transition to an enduring democracy in which the rights of all Tunisians are respected and protected.

Readout of Secretary Kerry’s Remarks With Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan

Photo courtesy of www.flickr.com

Benjamin Franklin Room
State Department
Washington, DC

March 13, 2013

SECRETARY KERRY: Good afternoon, everyone. I want to offer a very warm welcome to Prime Minister Zeidan of Libya. This is the first visit to Washington of the Prime Minister as prime minister, but it’s an historic visit, and the reason is very simple: He represents his country’s first democratically elected government in more than 40 years. And we all join in celebrating what has been accomplished in Libya: the liberation of a country that had been under the yoke of a dictator for decades.

The community of nations is very, very proud that we helped to give the Libyan people a fighting chance for their future and that we helped to prevent the slaughter of thousands of lives. So the fact that the Prime Minister is here with us today is testament to how far Libya has come, and frankly, how quickly it has come that far.

The Libyan people have begun to chart the course for their own future, and they’re defining it. Obviously, there are challenges ahead – we all understand that – from building political consensus to strengthening the security, protecting human rights, and growing the Libyan economy, which we were just talking about a few minutes ago.

The Prime Minister, I think, understands, but I want to reiterate to him today, that the United States will continue to stand with Libya during this difficult time of transition. We will cover a great deal in our meeting, but in the meeting that we just had, we talked about the difficulties of this transition period and the challenges, but also the wonderful assets that Libya has – great, intelligent people, not that big a population, and wealth through the oil resources. Libya is a country that can win this future, and we believe in that.

We also want to thank the Government of Libya for its cooperation after the attacks in Benghazi. As President Obama has made very, very clear, those who killed Americans in Benghazi will be brought to justice, and I emphasize that today. Prime Minister Zeidan and I know what a good friend Chris Stevens was to all of the Libyan people, and the thousands of everyday Libyans who marched in outrage carrying homemade signs thanking Chris for what he had done for them, thanking the United States for what all Americans had done for them, all of that underscores why we must not walk away from the difficult work that Chris Stevens and his cohorts were so dedicated to.

That work will continue, Mr. Prime Minister, and I am pleased to tell you that we will soon be sending Deborah Jones to Libya as our new ambassador. And she is a very capable and experienced diplomat, and I have no doubt that she’s going to help to strengthen the partnership between us.

With respect to other issues, let me just say quickly that the United States is committed to promoting stability in Libya, in North Africa, and in the Sahel. So we’re going to discuss further the cooperation on security issues. Just last month at the ministerial meeting in Paris, the United States pledged more assistance for security reform in Libya with particular emphasis on border security, rule of law, building a professional security force and institutions, and the control or destruction of chemical weapons that have been left over from the old regime. We will look for other ways to work together as we go forward in order to make Libya safer and to live up to its full potential.

Finally, in terms of our economic partnership, the United States wants to create an economic environment in Libya that will spur outside investment and foster entrepreneurship. Libya’s long-term prosperity will depend on creating greater opportunities for more people, for all of its citizens, for being an open society and an open economy. So we’re encouraging American businesses to take a look at Libya and to work to promote the kind of stability that will make investment in Libya even more attractive.

So I close by saying once again it’s a great privilege to have you here today, Mr. Prime Minister. I congratulate you and your country, as all the American people do, for this remarkable transition that you’re going through, and we look forward to working together with you in the days and months ahead. Thank you.

PRIME MINISTER ZEIDAN: Shukran, thank you.
(Via interpreter) – the United States of America and I would like to give my thanks to the American Government and people and President Obama and his Administration for the important role that the United States played in supporting the revolution in order to achieve democracy and stability, and the role that was played by President Obama and his Administration. It was very important in the success of the Libyan revolution.

I wanted to give my thanks to the American people and to the American Administration for this role, and I would like to confirm the importance of the relationship with the United States and the strategic aspect with the – of this new Libya. This relationship will be at the best level in various aspects – political, economic, and education and oil and the area of security cooperation – in order to achieve stability and peace in the Middle East and the Mediterranean and North Africa and the coast and the desert.

And was received today by several officials in the State and the National Security Advisor. We were honored with the passage of President Obama during the meeting. And it was a very productive meeting that dealt with various aspects and issues that are important in the relationship between the United States and Libya. We have confirmed certain factors that are in the service of this relationship. And I can say that the ambassador – that your ambassador who came to us when he visited us at the beginning of the revolution and stayed with us for a long time and presented great services to our country, and we consider him a very dear friend and a friend of the Libyan people. And he met our officials and lived with them and helped them and cooperated with them, and we lost a very dear man and a very nice and great human being.

And here I would like to confirm that the Libyan Government insists to work with the United States of America in order to reach the truth – who are the perpetrators of the crimes that were committed, who killed this dear friend and his colleagues. And they must be put to trial, and we will reach this conclusion because this is a principal issue in our heritage, Islamic heritage, and in accordance with our morals. And inasmuch as we regret the killing of the American dear ambassador, we are keen on reaching the truth and to see that justice is achieved and that – so that the American public opinion wants this and we will work with President Obama seriously in order to achieve this goal.

We dealt with various aspects of our relationship, and various issues of cooperation in the future, regardless of the education of Libyans here in America or our military cooperation, security cooperation, and economic and political cooperation, particularly trying to retrieve the money that was stolen from Libya, and the American Administration is committed to help us. And in the area of training and various other fields, the most important is the security cooperation in order to establish security and stability in the world and in the area of the Middle East and North Africa.

I’d like to reiterate my thanks to the American Administration and his excellency the Secretary of State for this opportunity. And I would like to confirm that our relationships will be – take a very – the best track, and will achieve the interests of the American people and the Libyan people. Thank you very much.

# # #