Pope Francis calls on young Congolese to fight for peace and against corruption

A show of muscle by the Catholic Church on the African continent. Pope Francis gathered more than 65,000 young people in the impressive Stadium of the Martyrs, located in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country on the continent with the largest number of Catholics.

A deafening ovation from the young crowd gathered there received the pontiff, who entered in an open ‘popemobile’, as has been the custom during his tenure. However, little-seen security measures were noted around the Bishop of Rome, with at least twenty men accompanying the vehicle in its close ring of security.

And it is that stability in the DR Congo is seriously affected, among other things, by the more than 120 armed groups that operate in that nation and that little by little bleed a country with millions of victims of violence. Especially since 2021, when clashes with the revival of the ‘M23′ militia escalated. For this reason, peace was one of the key themes in Francis’ speech.

“The peace that is lacking in your country can come from your hands,” said the Holy Father. “Open your palms. Look at them carefully. Friends, God has placed in your hands the gift of life, the future of society and of this great country,” he stressed, to loud applause.

At another time, the Supreme Pontiff called attention to his young followers so that “they do not allow themselves to be manipulated by individuals or groups that seek to use them to keep your country in the spiral of violence and instability, in order to continue controlling it, without regard for anyone”.

Similarly, he stressed the importance of the fight against corruption, which, according to the head of the Catholic Church, “never seems to stop spreading.” Francis replicated this particular message in one of the languages ​​of the Congolese, French. “No to corruption,” he repeated, in that language.

“If someone offers you an envelope with a bribe, or promises you favors and a lot of money, don’t fall for it,” he said.

The head of the Vatican State also stressed the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation, key ingredients to avoid ethnic rivalry. “Beware of the temptation to point fingers at someone, to exclude another person because they are different; beware of regionalism, tribalism or anything that makes you feel safe in your own group,” he stressed.

Another of the topics that the Roman pontiff touched on was living a “virtual” life, referring to a certain dependence of current generations on electronic devices, especially cell phones. “We cannot settle for merely interacting with distant and even false people. Life is not chosen by touching the screen with your finger. It is sad to see young people who spend hours in front of a phone,” he stressed.

The importance of meeting with young people lies in the fact that more than two thirds of the Congolese population is under 25 years of age. This sector, in particular, is the victim of abuses in the midst of the complex context that the country is experiencing, according to various humanitarian organizations and the United Nations.

The vision of the youth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

At the end of the meeting, many of the young people present reflected on the words of Francis. According to Joel, 21, “the pope is right” on the issue of corruption. “The country is going badly (…), to get somewhere you have to corrupt the police. And I hope that the government, the police change in that sense,” said the also art student.

For his part, Kavira Shukuru, 26, pointed directly to the direction of the country. “We have the impression that our leaders do absolutely nothing to improve the living conditions of the population and that they minimize the ability of young people to improve things,” she asserted.

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According to Shukuru, “this situation is among the causes of instability and insecurity in our country.” “An unemployed youth is easily influenced and may join an armed group to earn a living or be influenced by a politician with bad intentions,” he explained.

your pain is my pain

On the eve, Pope Francis celebrated a mass in which at least a million people participated. The fundamental message was forgiveness.

The Catholic leader heard testimonies from various victims of the violence that plagues the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Among them, the media highlighted a sex slave who was forced to commit cannibalism, a teenager who was “raped like an animal” for months and a young man who watched as her father’s head was cut off.

The victims offered before a crucifix the objects that caused the pain that marked their lives: the mat on which they were raped, or the machete with which they mutilated or killed.

The pope also pointed to world powers and large companies operating in the country. “What a scandal and what hypocrisy, how people are being raped and killed, while the commerce that causes this violence and death continues to flourish! Enough!” he exclaimed.

The visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo will culminate on Friday, when the papal entourage heads to South Sudan, the youngest nation in the world, but also plagued by fighting and famine. Remnants of the civil war waged between ethnic groups and which has left some 400,000 victims.

With Reuters, AP and EFE