In Kinshasa, Pope Francis expected to celebrate a giant mass

It is a day full of fervor which is announced for the Congolese.

Pope Francis is expected on Wednesday February 1 for a giant mass in Kinshasa which could bring together more than a million people, on the second day of his visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

From Tuesday evening, the faithful flocked to Ndolo airport, in the east of the capital, to watch all night until the open-air mass presided by the Argentine Jesuit at 9:30 a.m. (8:30 GMT). .

"I come to the wake to be able to attend mass, because I'm not used to waking up very early...", Franciane, 24, told AFP.

The faithful have been warned: at 7:30 a.m., access to the site will be closed. 

"I brought some water to wash my face and a change of clothes for tomorrow," continues the young woman.

While religious music resounds and the rain seems to threaten, Véronique is also preparing to spend the night in Ndolo, with her baby.

"I can't miss this blessing from the pope, that's why I'm going to watch with my child," she said.

Patrick, 31, a chorister at Notre-Dame de Fatima parish, sits alone and listens to music on his cell phone.

He hopes for the help of "God, through the intercession of the Holy Father, in this situation of war in which" the DRC has been plunged for years.

"Stop suffocating Africa"

Arriving in the capital of the largest Catholic country in Africa on Tuesday, Jorge Bergoglio denounced the "economic colonialism" which "is unleashed" in this country with an immense wealth underground and fertile land, two thirds of which of the approximately 100 million inhabitants live below the poverty line.

"Stop suffocating Africa: it is not a mine to be exploited nor a land to be plundered", launched the pope in front of the authorities and the diplomatic corps at the presidential palace. 

A few hours earlier, he had been greeted with popular jubilation with cheers, banners and flags by tens of thousands of people massed along the main avenues of the megalopolis of some 15 million inhabitants. 

Resurgence of the M23 armed group

Another highlight of this stage in Kinshasa, the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church will meet Wednesday afternoon with victims of violence in the east of the country.

François was initially due to go to Goma, in North Kivu, a Congolese province bordering Rwanda plagued by numerous violence and the resurgence of the armed group M23 which has conquered large swaths of the territory in recent months.

But this stage, which appeared in the trip planned for July 2022 and then postponed because of the knee pain of the 86-year-old pope, was finally canceled due to security risks, deemed too great.

Eastern DRC has dozens of other armed groups, including Islamist rebels who target civilians.

On Tuesday, the pope urged the Congolese not to "slide into tribalism and confrontation" and "encouraged the ongoing peace processes" so that "commitments are kept".

He also mentioned the environment, education, social and health issues, themes to which he should return during his next speeches.

Late Wednesday afternoon, the pope will deliver his third and final speech of the day to representatives of charities.

This is Francis' fortieth international trip since his election in 2013, and his fifth to the African continent.

After Kinshasa, on Friday he will join Juba, capital of South Sudan, the youngest state in the world and among the poorest on the planet. 

With AFP

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