Pope hears harrowing tales of Congo violence and says: ‘Enough!’
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters Pope Francis heard harrowing accounts from victims of conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday, including rape, amputation, forced cannibalism and sexual slavery, and he condemned the atrocities as war crimes. In a poignant encounter at the Vatican’s embassy in the capital Kinshasa, victim after victim told their […]
“Hands off Africa!”: Pope blasts foreign plundering of Congo
Kinshasa, Congo AP Pope Francis demanded Tuesday that foreign powers stop plundering Africa’s natural resources for the “poison of their own greed” as he arrived in Congo to a raucous welcome by Congolese grateful he was focusing the world’s attention on their forgotten plight. Tens of thousands of people lined the main road into the […]
Catholics from eastern Congo make cross-country journey to meet Pope
Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters Father Adeodatus Muhigi is among the Roman Catholic faithful in Democratic Republic of Congo’s restive city of Goma who prepared to welcome Pope Francis last July, before the pontiff had to postpone a trip to Africa because of a knee ailment. Now instead of welcoming the pope in Goma […]
South Sudan’s displaced hope Pope’s visit will bring peace
Juba, South SudanReuters After spending nearly a decade in a camp for the displaced in South Sudan’s Juba, Mayen Galuak hopes that Pope Francis’ visit to the capital city next week will inspire political leaders to finally restore peace, allowing him to go home. The 44-year-old entered the United Nations camp, just a few kilometres […]
Congo’s Catholic church says ‘enlist and vote’ as election season looms
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters Half-way through his homily, Father Victor Ntambwe brandished his voter card in front of the congregation in Saint Charles Lwanga church in Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital. With presidential elections just months away, he had an earthly message to deliver alongside the psalms and the sermon. He told the […]
Pope’s Congo visit seeks to heal “still bleeding” wounds, envoy says
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters Pope Francis’s visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo will remind the world not to ignore decades-long conflicts that have beset the mineral-rich nation and wrecked the lives of millions, the Vatican’s envoy to Kinshasa said. Francis is expected to visit Congo from 31st January to 3rd February, the […]
Police demolish trader stalls in Congo capital ahead of Pope visit
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of CongoReuters Before dawn, sanitary police armed with crowbars and a bulldozer set about demolishing makeshift trader stalls crowding downtown streets in the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo ahead of a four-day visit by Pope Francis starting on 31st January. Officials say Kinshasa, a vast impoverished city of 17 million people, […]
In Bahrain, Pope speaks out against death penalty and discrimination
Sakhir, Bahrain Reuters Pope Francis spoke against the death penalty on Thursday at the start of a trip to Bahrain where the Shi’ite Muslim opposition accuse the Sunni monarchy of overseeing human rights abuses and families of death row inmates had sought help from the pontiff. The visit, only the second by a Pope to […]
Pope’s visit a dream come true for woman whose father helped build Bahrain church
Manama, Bahrain Reuters When Pope Francis visits Bahrain this week, it will be a dream come true for many Christians in the Gulf Arab country, but especially for Najla Uchi, whose father helped build the first Roman Catholic church in the island state. Lighting a candle at her home altar lined with religious icons, 78-year-old […]
Pope urged to talk of human rights, political prisoners, in Bahrain visit
Vatican City Reuters Families of death row inmates in Bahrain appealed to Pope Francis on Monday to speak out against capital punishment and defend political prisoners during his trip to the Gulf state this week. The families made their appeal in an open letter released by the London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, which […]