VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis’ apostolic visit to the Central African country of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the North African country of Sudan began on January 31.
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On Tuesday morning, the Pope’s plane took off from Rome to Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Pope Francis will fly to South Sudan’s capital Juba on Friday, spending the first part of his trip in the metro city of millions. The head of Catholics wants to promote peace and a more harmonious coexistence between the two Christian countries. Congo and South Sudan have been particularly concerned about recent incidents of violence at the hands of rebels or rivals. Papa is also in wheelchair due to knee problem.
Pope Francis’ visit as a pilgrim of peace will last until February 5. In African countries marred by protracted conflicts, people who suffer greatly from hunger and disease are living in hell. This is the Pope’s 40th apostolic journey abroad. He thanked the civil authorities and bishops of both countries for their invitations and preparations for the visit.
On Wednesday, Pope Francis will offer a solemn Mass for the people of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The 86-year-old papa had planned to visit last year but had to postpone the trip for six months due to health reasons.
Pope Francis is the first Pope to visit Congo in 37 years. Perhaps the Pope’s visit is aimed at strengthening a sense of community in a country where the Catholic Church has long played a dominant role. Pope John Paul II met with former President Mobutu Sese Seko. As then, Kinshasa is still a cosmopolitan city, known for its bars, rumba music and rich wealth. It is also a metropolis of contradictions.
In the eastern part of the country, people often feel abandoned by the capital. Peace has not returned to many places since the fall of Mobutu in the 1990s. Between 1998 and 2007 alone, 5.4 million lives were lost in organizations or in the humanitarian crises they created, according to a study by the Aid Organization’s International Rescue Committee.
In 2020, Human Rights Watch counted more than 120 rebel groups in eastern Congo. One of them, M23, recently carried out an attack near Goma, which is in conflict with neighboring Rwanda. A December report by a UN panel of experts also found “substantial evidence” of involvement by Rwandan defense forces. A large proportion of its approximately 15 million inhabitants live in poverty.
English Summary: Pope Francis started his apostlic visit to Congo and South Sudan