DR Congo: Pope Francis’ planned visit ignites hope for troubled eastern region
The Democratic Republic of Congo DRC is set to receive the The Holy See, Pope Francis. The visit planned for January 31st comes after an earlier planned visit for July 2022 was postponed due to the Pope’s strained knee. At the time the pontiff was undergoing therapy for his strained knee ligaments.
Abbé Martin Yamuremye, a parish priest in Kanyaruchinya, said Francis’ visit will bring hope to the whole country.
“By choosing the Congo as the place of his (Pope Francis) visit, I think he carries us, the whole country, especially the east that he had wanted to visit” Abbé Martin Yamuremye, parish priest of Saint Thérèse of the Child of Jesus in Kanyaruchinya said about the coming visit. “By visiting Kinshasa, I think he carries the whole country which knows all the difficulties suffered by people in the east. Therefore, the message he brings to us is a message of peace and it is a message that comforts us. We are proud that he is visiting our country.” Yamuremye added.
On Tuesday, January 31, the Pope will leave Rome for Kinshasa. Upon his arrival, after paying a courtesy call on President Tshisekedi, he will meet with other government authorities and civil society groups. The next day he will travel to the east to meet victims of violence and representatives of some charities, where many are hoping his visit will bring healing to their troubled land.
