Pope begins trip to Democratic Republic of Congo

The pope has embarked on a six-day trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and South Sudan, where he is expected to deliver a message of peace to the two long-war-torn countries.

Africa has become a priority for Pope Francis – it is his fifth trip to the continent as pope.

He has previously spoken out about the legacy of colonialism and the detrimental impact of the global arms industry on the region.

Aid agencies say they hope the pope’s visit will refocus the world’s attention on often-overlooked conflicts.

Francis’ journey also brings him face to face with the future of the Catholic Church. Africa is one of the few places in the world where Catholic congregations are growing, as are new vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

For example, half of the DRC’s 105 million inhabitants are Catholics. The country also has more than 6,000 priests, 10,000 nuns and more than 4,000 seminarians.

The second leg of Francis’ journey takes him to South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, where ongoing fighting has hampered the implementation of a 2018 peace deal to end a civil war.

Francis first expressed hope to visit the predominantly Christian country in 2017, but security concerns prevented a visit.

The trip was originally scheduled for July but was postponed due to Francis’ knee problems. A stopover is also said to have been made in Goma, in eastern Congo, but the surrounding North Kivu region has been ravaged by fierce fighting between government forces and the M23 rebel group, as well as attacks by militants linked to the so-called Islamic State group.

According to the World Food Programme, the fighting has displaced some 5.7 million people, a fifth of them in the past year alone.