Pope Francis, whose real name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio, arrived in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, on Tuesday 31 January around 2.30pm.
The pontiff was welcomed at the foot of the plane by Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde and Bishop Ettore Balestrero. This is the 40th “ecumenical peace” apostolic journey of the Pontiff outside Italy and the fifth to Africa.
After a brief meeting in the airport’s VIP lounge, the Pope is due to go to the Palais de la Nation for talks with President Félix Tshisekedi. Both personalities will address the civil authorities in the evening.
“My most fervent wish is that this visit of the Holy Father will be the sign of a year 2023, the turning point between two legislatures, full of success both in the organisation of the next elections, which we want to be transparent, credible and inclusive, and in the promotion of fruitful cooperation between the DRC and its external partners,” said the Congolese head of state, Felix Tshisekedi, the day before the Pope’s arrival.
The Bishop of Rome is in Kinshasa, the Congolese capital, until Friday 3 February before taking off for Juba, the South Sudanese capital, from 3 to 5 February, to complete his pilgrimage for peace. In a DRC ravaged by conflict, the Pope wants to bring a message of peace and alert people to the tragedies taking place in the east of the country. His trip is also an opportunity to encourage the DRC, which is the largest Catholic country in Africa, on a continent where evangelical Christians are on the rise.
