Cardinal Robert Sarah from Guinea in West Africa has been named among the potential successors to Pope Francis and the prospect is sending a jolt through the French establishment. He has accused the West of betraying its Christian roots and described mass migration as a form of ‘self destruction’. He has spoken of immigration as a ‘new form of slavery’ created by Europe’s failure to defend its identity and has called on young Africans to remain in their own countries and build their futures at home. In 2021, during an interview on French radio, he made one of his most quoted comments: ‘If Europe continues in this way, it will be invaded by a foreign population.’ In today’s France, those words land like a grenade. The unease at the Élysée is palpable.
Sarah is a long shot. At 79 years old, he loses his conclave voting rights in June, and his combative stance has made him a divisive figure in Rome.
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