The pope left the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRCongo) this Friday to meet with bishops asking them to witness reconciliation in the country in the face of “the violence unleashed by the exploitation of resources and by ethnic strife” .
“Do not be afraid to witness mercy and reconciliation despite the unleashed violence, not only through means and through ethnic and tribal conflicts, but also and above all through the dark power of the evil one, enemy of God and man,” said the pope at the headquarters of the DR Congo Bishops’ Conference, where he arrived on Tuesday.
Meeting with Francis were the 65 bishops of DR Congo representing the 47 dioceses of a country with a population of about 95 million people, half of whom are Catholic.
“With you brothers, I see Jesus, suffering from the history of this crucified and oppressed people, devastated by relentless violence, scarred by innocent pain, forced to live with the murky waters of corruption and injustice that contaminate society and lead to suffering of so many children,” he said.
“But at the same time I see people who have not lost hope, who embrace the faith with enthusiasm and look to their shepherds,” he added.
During this trip, Francisco made numerous calls for the laying down of arms in the eastern part of the country, a region he intended to travel to but had to cancel due to the outbreak of fighting.
According to a report by the organization Save The Children, published during this papal visit, more than 122,000 people, including 65,000 children, fled their homes between January 24 and 25 because of fighting between the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels and de Leger on the outskirts of Kitshanga, about 60 kilometers west of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.
Since fighting with the M23 resumed last March after years of calm, the insurgents have occupied areas and strategic locations in DR Congo and fear of violence has forced more than half a million people from their homes, the UN said. .
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), about 5.5 million people are displaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Francisco will travel to South Sudan this Friday and will be joined by the leader of the Anglican Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland General Assembly, Iain Greenshields, to sign the peace deal. strengthen. implemented in the country in 2018.
Source: DN
