Pope Francis’ visit to Kinshasa (DRC)

Pope Francis was been able to connect very well with the people, with his 86 years and in a wheelchair, he did not waste time in these 4 days of stay in Kinshasa. It seems that he did not even need to rest, he wanted to see everything and listen to everyone.

The arrival was spectacular, I do not know where so many people came from, during the 25 km that separate the airport from the Palace of the Nation, a great agglomeration was waiting for him, not even a subway was empty. People were really waiting for him, waving flags, t-shirts…whatever and singing songs of welcome. He was the hope of the poor, in need of peace and consolation

At the presidential palace he met the country’s leaders. For months this country has been the victim of the resurgence of the armed group M23, which has conquered large swathes of the territory, leaving death and horrors in its wake. The economic situation is precarious for most of the inhabitants of Kinshasa, especially for the youth they hope that the Pope’s message will have an impact on their leaders. It is a country rich in cobalt, copper (in the southeast, in Katanga), also lithium, which has not yet been exploited. Further north, where there is now the M23 war, there is coltan, cassiterite,(ore) . The Pope’s message was clear and strong: “Do not touch the Democratic Republic of Congo, do not touch Africa. Stop suffocating it, because Africa is not a mine to be exploited or a land to be plundered. Let Africa be the protagonist of its own destiny”.

The meeting with the youth and catechists was massive, they filled the stadium. He also met with priests and religious, and with a delegation of victims of the horrors and massacres, mutilated people who had lost their families and everything they owned. With great serenity, they told him the facts and committed themselves to forgive their aggressors. He listened to their testimonies, he was visibly shocked, “there are no words, he said, one can only cry, remaining silent”. “And addressing all the people” and “all the internal and external entities that pull the strings of the war in the DRC”, the Pope asked them to listen to “the cry” of the blood of the innocent victims.

Finally, he celebrated the Eucharist in the Martyrs’ Stadium with all the Christians who are people of great strength, people who know what it is to struggle to face every day the hard reality of life.

             The image that Pope Francis used to speak to the young people: the five fingers of the hand: prayer, Community, honesty (not to enter into corruption), forgiveness, service.

              To priests and religious he said: “Peace be with you“, it is more than a greeting, it is a sending. Christ is our peace, evil never has the last word”

He said that Jesus always amazes us, when we are on the verge of death he announces life to us; therefore we cannot allow ourselves neither sadness, nor resignation nor fatalism. He proposed 3 sources to cultivate and preserve Peace.

              1st source: forgiveness: Jesus suffers with you, he sees the wounds you carry inside.

              2nd source: community: Jesus gathers everyone together; he speaks to them in the plural. There is no Christianity without community, there is no peace without fraternity. Humility is the the Christian’s greatness and fraternity the true richness.

              3rd source: The Mission: “As the Father has sent me, I send you”, We are called to be missionaries of Peace. We are called to be a conscience of peace, not only a critical conscience, but above all witnesses of Love.

                      We live very close to the airport so in the morning the blue plane, bound for Sudan, passed a few meters above our heads.It was the grateful farewell of many who raised their hands and eyes to say goodbye. “Papus” we heard our neighbors say.

Catalina LLabres LSA in DRC

(from the site JPIC web site): https://jpic-assumpta.org/index.php/2023/02/08/visita-del-papa-francisco-en-kinshasa-rdc/