BREAKING: Only Heaven Can Replace a Man Like Pope Francis, Not Politics, Says CAN Northwest Chair Oibe
The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the North-West, Elder Sunday Oibe, has paid glowing tribute to the late Pope Francis, describing his death as a profound loss for Christianity worldwide and insisting that only divine intervention can guide the Catholic Church in selecting his successor.
In an interview with ARISE News on Tuesday, Elder Oibe said Pope Francis was more than just a religious figure—he was a unifying icon of peace, humility, and global compassion, whose legacy transcended denomination, ethnicity, and geography.
“I think the passing of this great icon of our faith is a very big vacuum that has been created within the Church of the Catholic movement. The reason is that he has been a very strong unifier, an exemplary life of a man who just wants peace and built synergies between different sects of people. And to have a replacement of a man like that, it would only take heaven.”
Oibe said Pope Francis’ leadership was defined by his ability to build bridges—bringing people together across religious and cultural divides, and offering an open, tolerant example of what it means to live by faith.
“One of the things that we wish that the Catholic faithful, and whosoever who is going to succeed Pope Francis will carry on, is exemplary life of building a bridge of peace. He’s a man who wants people from different positions of life, Catholic, Christian, non-Christian alike, to build a bridge of unity, peaceful coexistence, and harmonious relationship. And I think that’s a very big shoe that has been left for whosoever wants to step into these shoes to carry on. Because the world today, we are in need of a man who will build bridges cut across different sectors of human beings. And I think that is one of the things that was very astounding throughout his tenures of leadership as the head of the Church Catholicism globally.” he said.
When asked about the possibility of a black or African pope, such as Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana or Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea, Elder Oibe responded with clarity and spiritual caution, saying the Catholic Church must resist calls for a race- or region-based selection.
“If you want to talk from the perspective of being an African and a black person, yes, of course, there would be nothing wrong if a black man succeeded him as the Pope. But one of the things I believe as a Christian, having been around for a while, when it comes to issues of spiritual matter, issues of tribe, where you come from does not matter, issues of the colour of the person does not matter, what matters is that where is the mind of God, vis-à-vis the person who is going to lead the body of Christ.”
He acknowledged the pride Africans might feel at the emergence of a black pope, but warned against politicising the sacred process of papal selection.
“As a selfish African, I would prefer a Nigerian, not just a Nigerian, maybe a Nigerian from my village, and not even from my village, maybe from my family. I think that when it comes to leadership in the church, we must ask God to choose for himself, not politics.”
Oibe said Christians must focus on prayer and divine discernment, not lobbying or regional entitlement, when it comes to the appointment of a new Pope.
