By: Ollus Ndomu
Presiding over a joyous Mass upon arrival in the capital Kinshasa on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, Pope Francis urged the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo to forgive those who have wronged them and denounced the insidiousness of greed that fuels conflicts across Africa.
An estimated one million people gathered to hear the Pontiff speak at the airfields of Ndolo airport, RFI reported.
Pope Francis is visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo and its neighboring state, South Sudan.
The 86-year-old Roman Catholic pontiff had originally planned to visit in 2022, but the trip was postponed due to ill health.
Pope Francis was in DR Congo from January 31 to February 3, 2023 and then moved to South Sudan where he is spending two days before returning to the Vatican City.
According to Vatican statistics, the DR Congo has over 52 million Catholic faithfuls – more than half of the country’s total population.
In DR Congo, the Catholic Church supports over 13,100 elementary schools and 40% of the country’s healthcare facilities.
The Pope’s visit comes at a time when DR Congo is experiencing deadly clashes between the military and M23 rebels.
In South Sudan, Pope Francis is meeting with internally displaced persons and will take part in an ecumenical prayer service at the John Garang Mausoleum in Juba, where he will also celebrate Mass on Sunday, February 5, 2023.
His Holiness has been delivering a message of hope and peace to the people of both countries, and his visit is sure to be a source of inspiration and comfort to those affected by the ongoing conflicts.
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