The College of Cardinals may want to return the position of Pope to an Italian, but numerous choices are worldwide as well, Rob Moynihan, founder and editor-in-chief of "Inside the Vatican," said on Newsmax.
"They've had three non-Italians, John Paul II from Poland, Benedict from Germany, and Francis from Argentina," Moynihan told Newsmax's Rob Astorino in an interview from Rome, airing on "Sunday Report." "They may want to go back to an Italian. Even the other cardinals may want to go back to some Italian, giving a little more order, because this is the bishop of Rome. They're here in Italy."
If they choose to go outside Italy, there are several leading candidates, some well-known and some not so much, said Moynihan.
"Cardinal Ranjith, Malcolm Ranjith of Sri Lanka, he's a friend of mine," Moynihan said. "He's a very good leader of his archdiocese, and he has had years of experience here in Rome. He knows Italian well."
Moynihan added, "And then a couple of the Africans, Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea … he would have been a king, I think, if he had stayed in Africa, but he became a cardinal. And he's very experienced with the liturgy, a very holy man. He's written a number of books. Everyone recognizes that about him. He would need a team right around him who would do things of diplomacy and finance, but he would be a wonderful figurehead."
As for Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, he's a "man with deep faith," said Moynihan.
The church is growing by "leaps and bounds" in Africa, he added.
"There's 700 seminarians in a seminary in Nigeria … but there's only one or two in Dublin, Ireland," he said.
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight’s special series and President Trump’s comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.