Pope urges reconciliation in Congo
Having been unable to proceed with his planned trip to Congo, Pope Francis received members of the Congolese community in Rome in a mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.
What was the purpose of the trip?
The 85-year-old religious leader was scheduled to visit Congo and South Sudan between July 2 & 7 as part of his journey. On the now-postponed trip, Francis was scheduled to arrive in Congo on Sunday and celebrate Mass at the airport in Kinshasa. Instead, some 2,000 descendants of Congolese people joined the pope at the Vatican for Mass.
Why was it postponed?
The trip was postponed due to the pope’s lingering knee ailment, which has recently forced him to use a wheelchair or a cane. The Pope, in a video message that was sent to them a day earlier, urged the people and leaders of the Congo and South Sudan to establish new pathways of rapprochement, peace, and prosperity. “Today, dear brothers and sisters, let us pray for peace and reconciliation”, Francis said. He apologized for being unable to travel this month but vowed to do so at a later time.
