The Pope’s special plane arrived in the capital Kinshasa at 2:33 pm local time in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on January 31. On his way to Africa, he greeted the accompanying journalists as usual, and mentioned many people who died while crossing the desert or were later imprisoned in “concentration camps”.
(Vatican News Network)Pope Francis arrived in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on January 31, the first stop of his 40th international pastoral visit, and then he will visit South Sudan. On his flight from Rome to Kinshasa, the Pope offered the gift of silence and prayer, as if gently comforting, to those who suffer and despair. He thinks of lives withered in the sand under the weight of misery, hunger, thirst, and violence.
“As we fly over the Sahara, we silently remember and pray for all those who died while crossing the desert in search of a little happiness, a little freedom. Many who suffered crossed the desert and arrived in the Mediterranean only to be imprisoned,” the Pope said. Suffering in ‘concentration camps’. Our prayers go out to all of them”.
Before the silence and fervent prayers, the pope thanked the entourage of around 75 journalists from 12 countries, including two from Africa, for accompanying him on the journey he had been waiting for for a year. “It has been a wonderful journey. I would love to go to Goma, but I can’t go there because of the war. Only Kinshasa and Juba are on the itinerary, where we will conduct all our visits. Thank you for being with me,” said the Pope. Together, all together, thank you for the wonderful job of bringing the images, thoughts and reflections of this visit to people. Thank you very much”.
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