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An estimated one million Congolese arrived at the capital’s main airport on Wednesday, dedicated to his call for peace and forgiveness in a country ravaged by decades of violence, the first large-scale protest in Africa. They rushed in for Mass.
Many Congolese devotees spend the night at the sprawling airfield of Kinshasa’s Ndoro Airport, singing and singing for the first papal visit to a predominantly Christian country since the last visit of St. John Paul II. , dancing and jazzing up, passing the time until Francis arrived. 1985.
A crowd of believers chased Pope’s car, which drove through working-class neighborhoods toward the presidential palace. Many of the women wore dresses and skirts made of purgne, a wax-printed fabric featuring images of Francis and other religious symbols.
“I understand my grandmother’s enthusiasm when Pope John Paul II came in today,” said Julie Mbuyi, a 45-year-old mother of two who wore a Franciscan-themed costume. “She was so excited to see him that she couldn’t close her eyes the night before!”
The morning mass was the first major event after Francis arrived in Congo on Tuesday, in an opening speech to government officials denouncing centuries of looting of Africa’s minerals and natural resources by foreign powers. .
Later on Tuesday, Francis was to meet with victims of fighting in eastern Congo, where rebel groups have intensified attacks over the past year as they seek to expand their territory.
Francis originally planned to visit Goma, capital of North Kivu province, but canceled after fighting displaced some 5.7 million people from their homes, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis already facing some 26.4 million people in the Congo. was forced to Hunger, according to the World Food Programme.
“When I heard that Pope Francis was no longer able to come to our North Kivu province, my husband and I decided to travel all the way to Kinshasa to meet him and hear what he had to say,” said Francis as Mass began. Waiting Jeanne Cajota said. She said she was old enough to remember John Paul’s visit, but she was unable to trace it in detail.
“That’s why I told myself that this kind of appointment doesn’t happen every day, it’s the exception, and I don’t want to miss it again.”
Fighting in eastern Congo, home to more than 120 armed groups, has waned for years but surges in late 2021 with the resurgence of the M23 group, which has been mostly dormant for nearly a decade. Did. Rebels have occupied swathes of land and have been accused by the United Nations and human rights groups of committing atrocities against civilians.
Francis condemned the fighting on Tuesday and was to repeat his call for peace during talks with victims of the conflict. It was planned to include a joint call for
The Vatican, citing information from local organizers, estimates that one million people attended Francis’ Mass. The capacity of the airport he had was 1.5 million, and it was not full by the time Francis’ mass began.
Among the devotees was Clément Rondo, who traveled from Xantou, a town in Central Congo province more than 150 kilometers from Kinshasa. He was scheduled to attend all of Frances’ events.
“To my children, and to those who have stayed in my city, I pass on the Pope’s message, a message of peace and reconciliation.”
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