Church in DR Congo Organizes Eucharistic Congress, Anticipates Pope’s Participation

“We wish to see the Holy Father Pope Francis take part in these meetings," Bishop Sikuli has been quoted as saying, recalling how in 2017, the Holy Father cancelled his scheduled apostolic visit to the Central African nation when the country “was experiencing an uncertain socio-political situation.”

“We hope that Pope Francis will visit Congo on this occasion, it would be a good thing for us," he stressed.

In an interview with UN radio, the then Papal representative in DR Congo Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor announced that  the visit would not happen until after elections for fear that the visit would be used for political mileage.

“The Pope wanted to come, the Nuncio had said and explained, “The Holy See has made clear to the Congolese authorities that his visit is conditioned on the organization of the elections which are established by its constitution.”

“Before that (election), there is a danger of manipulation and exploitation of the Holy Father’s visit, either to support the continuation of an illegitimate government or for those who hope to expel the regime according to the popular movements,” he added.

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The Congress, which is being organized by the Episcopal Conference of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is scheduled for June 7 -14, 2020 in Lubumbashi, South East of the country under the theme “Eucharist and Family”.

The Congress will be the third for the Church in DR Congo. The first one was held in Kisantu in 1933 and the second one in Kinshasa in 1980.