First modification:
This is Pope Francis’ fifth trip to Africa, but it is the first time a pontiff has visited the Democratic Republic of Congo in 37 years. Among the objectives of the trip is to return the focus of the international community to the conflicts that both this country and South Sudan are experiencing.
Pope Francis landed at the Ndjili airport in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on his 40th trip, a six-day visit that will last until February 5 and also includes South Sudan.
A message of peace, the fight against climate change and respect for the African continent focus attention on this trip, which was planned for mid-2022, but had to be postponed due to the pontiff’s health problems.
Francisco, 86, visits the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) at a time of escalating violence in this nation, mainly on the border with Rwanda, where more than a hundred armed groups have a presence, including the March 23 Movement, or M23.
The attacks in the region caused the pope’s first stop, which was scheduled to be in Goma, to be cancelled.
The area is of particular economic interest due to the coltan mines, a mineral composed of columbite and tantalite, which is key to the manufacture of mobile phones, other communication devices and modern weapons.
An estimated 45 million people, half the DRC’s population, are Catholic, and the Church enjoys significant influence. Despite this, this is the first visit by a pontiff in 37 years to this country.
A journey to direct the spotlight on two of the world’s forgotten conflicts
Another of the objectives of this trip, Francis’ fifth to the African continent, is to return the attention of the international community to the conflicts that these two nations are experiencing, also ravaged by poverty, and which have recently been forgotten due to the attention that the war in Ukraine has required.
The pontiff has been emphatic that a “colonial mentality” persists in the region, which causes Africa to be considered an area that can be exploited, which has generated a serious humanitarian crisis.
In an interview with the Associated Press, the pontiff said that “Africa is in crisis and is suffering from the invasion of exploiters” and added that “we need to listen to their culture: dialogue, learn, speak, promote.”
In addition, the visit has an important goal: to analyze the future of the Catholic Church in this region, one of the few in the world where the number of faithful is growing.
In the DRC there are more than 6,000 priests, 10,000 nuns and more than 4,000 seminarians, which constitutes 3.6% of the world total of young people being formed for the priesthood.
The pope’s main event in Kinshasa will be a mass, to be held this Wednesday at the Ndolo airport. Some two million people are expected to attend the meeting.
With EFE, AP and Reuters
