UPDATE – Pope Francis to Congo: ‘We cannot grow accustomed to the bloodshed’

CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK; UPDATES POPE'S REMARKS, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - Pope Francis urged an end to bloodshed Tuesday when he arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on the first leg of his fourth journey to Africa which will also take him to South Sudan.

He is the second pope to visit the strife-torn Catholic country since John Paul II's visit in 1985.

In the nation’s capital of Kinshasa, he headed to the presidential palace where he held a private discussion with President Felix Tshisekedi.

The two leaders addressed 1,000 people, including political and religious leaders, representatives of civil society groups and the foreign diplomatic corps.

The motto for Francis’ visit is “Tous réconcilié en Jésus Christ” (All reconciled in Jesus Christ), according to the Vatican.

“It is a call to the Congolese to reconcile with God and among themselves, especially the political actors,” said Monsignor Marcel Utembi, archbishop of Kisangani and president of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo.

Eastern Congo remains volatile with 5.7 million people internally displaced amid food insecurity, according to the UN.

The visit was postponed from July 2021 after the pope’s doctors advised against traveling due to health concerns.

Francis is scheduled Wednesday to preside over an open-air mass expected to be attended by 1.5 million people at N’Dolo Airport, Kinshasa’s secondary airport.

Sylvano Kasongo, the provincial police chief of Kinshasa, said 7,500 officers will be deployed at the airport for security. According to Vatican statistics, almost half of the 95 million people are Catholics.

Since his ascension in 2013, Francis has made four trips to the continent and visited eight countries.

- We cannot grow accustomed to bloodshed

Meeting with political and religious leaders, representatives of civil society groups, Francis’s speech dwelled on the most critical issues affecting the country, including the ongoing conflict in the east and economic colonialism.

The pope’s visit came amid renewed fighting in North Kivu province between M23 rebels and government troops

A peace process agreed to in November by African leaders at a mini-summit in the Angolan capital of Luanda is struggling.

“We cannot grow accustomed to the bloodshed that has marked this country for decades, causing millions of deaths. The current peace processes, which I greatly encourage, need to be sustained by concrete deeds, and commitments should be maintained,” said Francis

The pope condemned the international community which he said, “has practically resigned itself to the violence devouring” the Congo.

*Tshisekedi “regretted the silence of the international community” in the face of the current crisis.

Speaking alongside Tshisekedi, Francis urged the Congolese to reject violence, stressing the need for a renewed effort to support development and peace.

“I stand with you and I accompany with my prayers and closeness every effort made to achieve a peaceful, harmonious and prosperous future for this great country. God bless the entire Congolese nation,” he told the audience at the presidential palace.

Francis also spoke about the importance of promoting transparent and credible elections as the Congo will hold its next presidential elections in December

Thousands of Congolese lined the streets to greet the Francis

“His voice has been heard by the world. He said it all, he talked about the injustices to which we are subjected,” Vital Kamerhe, opposition politician and former chief of staff for Tshisekedi, said about the pope’s speech