Why No U.S.-Born Pope Yet?

Church history and demographics are two key reasons. Most of Church history, which began in the Holy Land, has been centered in western Europe in general and Rome in particular. In addition, since the year 1059, cardinals have been the exclusive electors of the pope. In 1875, Archbishop John McCloskey of New York became the first U.S. cardinal. And if you’re not a cardinal, the odds of your being elected pope are astronomical.

The number of cardinal electors was held to less than seventy for centuries, given the biblical significance of the number. However, beginning with Blessed Paul VI and St. John Paul II, who wanted to internationalize the College of Cardinals, that number has increased. The official limit is currently set at 120, but sometimes it surpasses that number, depending on the respective ages of the existing cardinals and newly elected ones.

So stay tuned. There might yet be a U.S.-born pope. Given that the U.S. is a world political superpower, though, the cardinal electors might shy away from picking an American for concern of possible political interference during such a pope’s pontificate.