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On the first day of his peace pilgrimage, Pope Francis begged the leaders of South Sudan to work together to put an end to bloody conflict in their country.
The pope has called his Feb. 3-5 visit to Juba, South Sudan’s capital, a “pilgrimage of peace.”
On the World Day of Consecrated Life, Pope Francis thanked the more than 18,000 priests and religious in the Democratic Republic of Congo for serving others amid the country’s “difficult and often dangerous conditions.”
As part of his visit to Africa this week, Pope Francis met Tuesday with civil leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one of the largest and poorest countries on the continent. Speaking with authorities including President Félix Tshisekedi, the pope denounced the practice of child labor in the country’s many mines, a widespread problem exacerbated by an ever-increasing global demand for cobalt, a vital component of rechargeable batteries.
In a moving encounter with Pope Francis, children from eastern Congo laid down the machetes and knives used to kill their families at the foot of Christ’s cross to symbolize their forgiveness.
Papal Masses, especially in the last 50 years or so, have attracted crowds of millions — many of them at World Youth Days.
More than one million people attended Pope Francis’ Mass in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday morning, according to local authorities.
The pope praised the work being done to assist those in poverty and emphasized the importance of Christian charity as an integral part of the faith.
The Apostolic Journey of Pope Francis to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is to “strengthen the faith, hope and charity” of the people of God in the Central African nation, the President of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) has told ACI Africa.
Out of some 400 members of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in the Central Africa Province , “only 85 selected members” are scheduled to meet Pope Francis in a private audience on Thursday, February 2 in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Provincial Superior has told ACI Africa.
Climate activists in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are seeking Pope Francis’ support in engaging the government to stop plans for oil and gas exploration during his Apostolic Journey to the country.
South Sudan has announced the lifting of the suspension on the Rome Peace talks with the Non-Signatory groups days to the arrival of Pope Francis, the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields, to the country.
In his first speech in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday, Pope Francis urged the international community to give the central African country its autonomy while not turning a blind eye to exploitation and violence.
Before departing on his flight to Africa on Tuesday morning, Pope Francis met with a group of refugees and migrants from the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan at the Vatican.
Pope Francis is seeking prayerful solidarity as he prepares to embark on his third Apostolic trip to sub-Saharan Africa, beginning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Tuesday, January 31, and then South Sudan from Friday, February 3.
Ndolo Airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the venue for the Papal public Mass during the first leg of Pope Francis’ two-African-nation Apostolic journey, is almost ready, the technical Coordinator has said.
The Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has said the planned ecumenical visit to be undertaken alongside Pope Francis and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields later this week is “historic”.
In his Sunday Angelus address, the pope expressed “great sorrow” for the death of Palestinians killed in an Israeli military raid and seven Israelis killed in a shooting.
The planned ecumenical visit to South Sudan to be undertaken by Pope Francis, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields next week is a “once in life” opportunity from God for the realization of unity in South Sudan, a Catholic Priest involved in the preparations for the February 3-5 trip has said.
The meeting of the Holy Father with the internally displaced persons (IDPs) when he visits South Sudan next week alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields, is a “sign of solidarity” with those suffering, a Catholic Priest involved in the preparations of the visit has told ACI Africa.