Pope Francis embarked on his fifth visit to Africa on Tuesday, where he will first visit the Democratic Republic of Congo and then South Sudan to plead for peace in the countries, both wracked by decades of stubborn conflict.
Thousands of well-wishers were expected at Kinshasa’s Ndjili airport to greet the 86-year-old pontiff, whose plane was due to arrive at around 3:00 pm .
“I would have liked to go to Goma too, but with the war, you can’t go there,” the pope told reporters on the plane.“These lands, situated in the centre of the great African continent, have suffered greatly from lengthy conflicts,” he said after his Angelus prayer at the Vatican. He recalled how many people arrive in north Africa hoping to cross the Mediterranean into Europe, only to find themselves “taken to camps, and suffering there. Let us pray for all those people”.Despite its vast mineral wealth, some two-thirds of DRC’s population live on less than $2.15 a day, while violence plagues the eastern provinces.
Following a welcome ceremony at the Kinshasa airport, Francis will be received at the presidential palace by President Felix Tshisekedi. Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend a prayer vigil Tuesday evening at N’dolo airport ahead of a mass on Wednesday morning, which is tipped to draw more than a million faithful.
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