Veteran Nollywood Actor Kanayo O. Kanayo has sparked an international conversation after publicly challenging the Catholic Church’s centuries-old tradition of using black smoke to signify an unsuccessful papal election.
In a video shared on social media, the actor questioned the symbolism behind the smoke signals used during the papal conclave, where black smoke represents failure to elect a pope, and white smoke signals success.
Drawing attention to the broader cultural implications, Kanayo argued that consistently associating “black” with failure reinforces subconscious racial bias.
“When they fail, it’s black smoke. When they succeed, it’s white smoke… This has been ingrained in the minds of the world that black is failure,” he said.
Kanayo suggested that the Church should consider alternative symbolism, proposing, for example, that blue smoke could be used to indicate that no pope has been elected, while white smoke continues to announce success.
“Remove the black. It’s not good for us,” he added.
He reminded that symbolism matters, especially in a global institution like the Catholic Church, whose traditions influence billions.
His comments come at a time when conversations around race, representation, and cultural sensitivity are gaining ground in religious and historical institutions around the world.
His remarks have sparked wide debate online, with some supporting the call to rethink the use of long-held symbols that could unintentionally perpetuate negative associations with the color black.
Others, however, point to the fact that black is also used within the Church in a different context, notably in clergy regalia, where it symbolizes humility, solemnity, and devotion.
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