In DRC, Pope Francis calls on Africa to be ‘protagonist of its destiny’

Most importantly, don’t miss anything. Try as much as possible to see the hand, the face, maybe catch the look of this Pope who decided to come and visit them for three days in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Fervor and joy could be read in the eyes of tens of thousands of people and the fiery greetings that gathered on Tuesday, January 31, on Lumumba Avenue, between the airport and the presidential palace in Kinshasa, where the sovereign pontiff was.

The head of the Catholic Church was expected in this troubled country, whose inhabitants thought their suffering had been forgotten, pushed into the background by recent wars, perhaps also closer to the Western world. Pope Francis, originally scheduled to arrive in July 2022, had to postpone an important trip due to health issues. The Congolese who hoped to visit had to bear their troubles patiently.

Jorge Bergoglio, who turned 86 on December 17, said it again on the plane: he also wanted to go to Goma, the capital of Kivu state, which has been plagued by particularly deadly unrest for several years. Since the end of 2022, the worsening situation prevented him from going there. No matter, on Tuesday, the sovereign pontiff took a pep ride in his Popemobile before arriving at the presidential palace. Along the way, people from Kinshasa stood on the terraces and roofs of buildings, on the concrete blocks separating the two lanes, before moving towards the convoy where possible.

“Stop Drowning Africa”

Once in the palace, moreover, his “proximity” That Francois assured the people of Kinshasa in particular and the Congolese in general during a speech after a brief meeting behind closed doors with President Felix Shisekede. He, who hopes to draw the world’s attention first to the DRC and then to the very young South Sudan, which has been independent since 2011 and has been the victim of a civil war for more than a decade, said. “Come in the name of Jesus as a pilgrim of reconciliation and peace”.

The Argentine Pope insulted the situation of the country, which is in trouble, in rather harsh words “protection” his “Dignity” and “Its Territorial Integrity Against Despicable Attempts at Fragmentation”. He urged the Congolese to take their destiny into their own hands: “Courage, Congolese brother and sister. Get up, take your dignity, your vocation, keep harmony and peace in the house you live in”.