Pope Francis said goodbye today to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with a meeting with the bishops, whom he invited to be witnesses of reconciliation in a country that lives “in the midst of violence unleashed by the exploitation of resources and due to ethnic conflicts.
Pope Francis will travel to South Sudan today, in a visit in which he will be accompanied by the leader of the Anglicans, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields, for reinforce the peace agreement implemented in the country in 2018.
“Do not be afraid to be witnesses of mercy and reconciliation in the midst of the violence unleashed not only by that of resources and by ethnic and tribal conflicts, but also and above all, by the dark force of the evil one, enemy of God and of the man”, said the Pope at the headquarters of the Bishops’ Conference of the DRC, where he arrived last Tuesday.
In the meeting with Francis were the 65 bishops of the DRC who represent the 47 dioceses of a country with a population of some 95 million people, half of whom are Catholics.
“With you, brothers, I see Jesus suffering in the history of this crucified and oppressed people, devastated by unforgiving violence, marked by innocent pain, forced to live with the murky waters of corruption and injustice that pollute society and that so many of their children suffer from poverty,” he said.
“But at the same time I see a people who have not lost hope, who enthusiastically embrace the faith and look to their Pastors,” he added.
He also indicated the need to “uproot the poisonous plants of hatred and selfishness, rancor and violence; tear down the altars dedicated to money and corruption; build a coexistence founded on justice, truth and peace”.
But he warned them that their mission should not be political, but that of “announcing the Word to awaken consciences, to denounce evil, to encourage those who are dejected and without hope.”
“Let’s be pastors and servants of the people, not businessmen,” he asserted.
On this trip, Francisco has made numerous calls for the laying down of arms in the eastern part of the country, where he had planned to go, but due to the outbreak of fighting, he had to cancel the stage in Goma.
According to a Save The Children report published during this visit, more than 122,000 people, including 65,000 children, fled their homes between January 24 and 25 due to fighting between the rebel March 23 Movement (M23) and the Army. Congolese in the area around Kitshanga, some 60 kilometers west of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.
Since the resumption of fighting with the M23 last March after years of calm, the insurgents have occupied strategic areas and locations in the DRC and fear of violence has forced more than half a million people to abandon their homes, according to the ONU.
Some 5.5 million people are displaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), in a country with a population of 95 million.
(With information from EFE)