kofi abotchie 
Presiding over a mass in Kinshasa on Wednesday February 1, 2023, Pope Francis urged the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo to forgive those who have harmed them and denounced the “poison of greed” driving conflicts in Africa.
RFI reports that an estimated 1 million people flocked to hear Pontiff speak on the airfields of Ndolo airport.
Pope Francis is visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo and its neighbouring state, South Sudan. The 86-year-old Roman Catholic pontiff planned to visit in 2022 but postponed due to ill health. Pope Francis will be in DR Congo from January 31 to February 3, 2023 and will then spend two days in South Sudan before returning to the Vatican City.
According to Vatican’s statistics, the DR Congo has more than 52 million Catholic believers – more than half of the country’s total population. The Catholic Church supports more than 13,100 elementary schools in the country and 40% of its healthcare facilities.
The Pope’s visit comes at a time when DR Congo is experiencing deadly clashes between the military and M23 rebels. On February 1, 2023 a celebratory Mass will be held in capital city Kinshasa.
In South Sudan, Pope Francis will meet with internally displaced persons and take part in an ecumenical prayer service at the John Garang Mausoleum in Juba, where he will also celebrate Mass on Sunday February 5, 2023.
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