Has There Ever Been a Coloured Pope?

No, it was much more diverse than you might think,” Davis said. Moreover, race as we think of it today did not have quite the same meaning back then. “When you say'black pope,' you have to think Roman Empire, not African-American,” as Bellitto put it.

Do you have to be white to be a pope?

The pope does not need to be a cardinal elector or indeed a cardinal; however, since the pope is the bishop of Rome, only those who can be ordained a bishop can be elected, which means that any male baptized Catholic is eligible.

Why is there a black pope?

He is generally addressed as Father General. The position sometimes carries the nickname of the Black Pope, because of his responsibility for the largest Catholic, male religious order and is contrasted to the white garb of the pope.