Pope Francis arrived in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo and delivered a speech about political strangleholds and urged the world to "stop choking Africa."
The religious leader's remarks included stinging condemnation of the centuries-long exploitation of the country and the entire continent. The pope also called on other nations to acknowledge the catastrophic things done in the country and fully respect the people who live there.
Pope Francis Visits DR Congo
Speaking to a crowd, Pope Francis said that Africa is not a mine to be stripped of or terrain to be plundered by other countries. His statement was a reference to rich resources that were the cause of so much conflict and death in the country.
However, the speech did not specifically address the role played by Catholic colonizers, which was backed by historic edicts from the Vatican, and the atrocities they conducted in the region.
On the other hand, the pope addressed the greed that has more recently taken hold of DR Congo. He said, "smeared its diamonds with blood." According to BBC, this was a reference to 7 million people that were estimated to have died amid conflict in the region in the last three decades.
Pope Francis' trip to the region was supposed to be last year and was planned to include a visit to the east, where the worst of violence continues to rage, and millions of citizens have been displaced.
However, it was postponed due to the religious leader's health problems that centered around his mobility, and now, due to various security concerns, he will not be able to make a trip to the east.
While on the plane to Kinshasa, the pope informed journalists that he regretted not being able to walk through the aisle to greet the people of the region. Instead, he asked that they go forward to meet him.
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Apostolic Journey
The first part of Pope Francis' trip will be from Jan. 31, 2023, to Feb. 3, 2023, and will have him follow the footsteps of Pope St. John Paul II, who traveled to the country in 1980 and 1985. The latest trip marks the religious leader's 40th Apostolic Journey abroad and his fifth one in Africa, according to Vatican News.
After a welcoming ceremony, the pope will pay a courtesy visit to President Felix Tshisekedi and address the country's authorities, civil society, and diplomatic corps. On Sunday, which marks the completion of the Apostolic Journey, Pope Francis will have visited 60 countries since the beginning of his pontificate.
In 2015, Pope Francis traveled to Kenya, Uganda, and the Central African Republic and visited Egypt two years later. In March 2019, he conducted an Apostolic Journey to Morocco, and in September 2019, he did the same in Mozambique, Madagascar, and Mauritius.
The religious leader's trip to DR Congo is meant to remind the world not to ignore decades-long conflicts worldwide, said the Vatican. It comes as for years, despite vast mineral wealth, the Central African country continues to struggle with instability and poverty of its people, said Aljazeera.
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