By Philip PullellaVATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Cardinal Peter Turkson, seen by some as a candidate to become the first African pope in about 1,500 years, has abruptly offered his resignation from a key Vatican department, sources familiar with the matter said on Saturday. Turkson, 73, from Ghana, has been a key adviser to Pope Francis on issues such as climate change and social justice, and is the only African to head a Vatican department. According to the Vatican sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the pope has yet to decide whether to accept the resignation. Turkson heads a large Vatican department known as the Dicastery for Integral Human Development. His departure would leave the Vatican with no African heading a major department, following the retirement of Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea earlier this year.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 18, 2021 10:58 UTC