DRC: a last mass in homage to Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo before his burial

Mass in homage to Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo in Kinshasa, DRC, July 21, 2021 © RFI / Sonia Rolley

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This last tribute, this Wednesday, July 21, 2021, is held at the Notre-Dame du Congo cathedral in Kinshasa.

A celebration in the presence of Presidents Félix Tshisekedi and Denis Sassou-Nguesso.

The body of the late cardinal of the DRC must then be buried in the cathedral alongside his predecessors.

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With our special correspondent in Kinshasa

,

Sonia Rolley

For this Mass, many religious leaders from the sub-region responded.

It was celebrated by five cardinals, that of the DRC of course, Fridolin Ambongo, but there is also that of the Central African Republic, the Archbishop of Bangui Dieudonné Nzapalainga.

It was the latter who made the funeral oration, partly in Lingala, which was warmly applauded.

The Archbishop of Ouagadougou Philippe Ouédraogo, the cardinal of Burkina Faso, took care of communion.

Also present are the cardinals of Nigeria and even Rwanda as well as the presidents and vice-presidents of the Episcopal Conferences of Chad and Congo-Brazzaville.

Everyone wanted to be able to pay tribute to Laurent Monsengwo.

Laurent Monsengwo

has often represented Africa. In fact, he became president of the symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar in 1997. He was also chosen as the representative of Africa to support Pope Francis in the reform of the Roman curia. The Pope also sent a message of condolence to greet the man of science, the great spiritual man or even " 

this pastor intensely devoted to the service of the Church

 ". Other Vatican officials also passed on messages.

Laurent Monsengwo must then be buried in the vault of Notre-Dame du Congo Cathedral, alongside his predecessors, Cardinals Frédéric Etsou Nzabi and Joseph-Albert Malula.

The burial ceremony will take place in a small committee, in the presence of the two heads of state and the main church leaders present.

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