Veteran Nigerian actor Anayo Modestus Onyekwere, MFR, popularly known as Kanayo O. Kanayo, has strongly criticised the Catholic Church for its use of black smoke during the election process of a new pope.
According to him, the symbolism of the colour black in this context undermines and vilifies people of African descent within the Church.
In the papal selection process (conclave), black smoke (fumata nera) rising from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel signifies that no pope has been elected during that round of voting.
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In a video message shared on social media, Kanayo argued:
So when they fail, it’s black smoke. When they succeed, it’s white smoke. So this has been ingrained in the minds of the world — that black means failure. And I think this is wrong. The Catholic Church must address this immediately.
He added:
We are vilified, we are marginalised — everything negative is linked to black people. This implies that Africa is the black sheep of the world, even within the Catholic community.
![Kanayo Kanayo [Instagram/kanayo.o.kanayo]](https://image.api.sportal365.com/process/smp-images-production/pulse.com.gh/24072024/878e199e-2399-4115-a468-0809d4960eca?operations=fit(1042:))
The actor went on to urge the Church to replace black smoke with blue smoke as a symbol of an inconclusive vote:
Let blue smoke mean that a new pope has not been elected, and let white smoke mean he has. Remove the black. It’s not good for us.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost Elected as Pope Leo XIV
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Meanwhile, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States has been elected as the 267th pope, making history as the first American pontiff.
The 69-year-old Chicago native is expected to appear on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica shortly, assuming leadership of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
Pope Leo XIV: All you need to know about the first American Pontiff
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Taking the name Pope Leo XIV, Prevost brings with him extensive global experience, having spent much of his career on missionary work in South America.
Most recently, he led a key Vatican department overseeing the appointment of bishops. His election is seen as a continuation of Pope Francis’s reformist agenda.