Pope Francis is set to embark on a six-day trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and South Sudan, aimed at spreading a message of peace and reconciliation. The Pope will start his journey on Tuesday in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, where he is expected to be welcomed by over a million people for an open-air Mass on Wednesday. The second leg of his trip will take him to Juba, the capital of South Sudan, where he will be joined by the leaders of the Anglican Church and the Church of Scotland.
The Pope’s trip is his fifth visit to Africa and his 40th overseas trip since he was elected as the head of the Catholic Church in 2013. The Vatican’s envoy to the DRC has stated that the Pope’s visit will serve as a reminder to the world to not overlook the long-standing conflicts in the country. Despite its vast mineral wealth, the Central African nation has struggled with instability and poverty for years.
Pope Francis is expected to meet with authorities, displaced persons, members of the clergy, and representatives of charities during his visit to DRC. He will also deliver a message of peace and stability, appealing for peace with the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the moderator of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields.
South Sudan, the world’s newest nation, officially split from Sudan in 2011, but civil war erupted two years later, causing 400,000 deaths. The Pope is expected to deliver a message of hope to the country, which still faces instability despite a 2018 peace deal signed by the main conflicting parties. There are over 4.5 million internally displaced people in South Sudan, and the UN has warned that 7.76 million people, about two-thirds of the country’s population, are likely to face acute food shortages this year.
Pope Francis’s trip to DRC has raised security concerns, but he is expected to meet with victims of conflict in Kinshasa, where security is not expected to be an issue. In his previous visits, Pope Francis has demonstrated his commitment to peace and stability, famously kissing the feet of South Sudan rivals Riek Machar and Salva Kiir in 2019, urging them not to return to conflict.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis
