Pope to start on his most challenging trip to Africa

24 novembre 2015

2 min di lettura

(AGI) Vatican City, Nov 24 - Pope Francis, accustomed toovercoming any hindrance, will no doubt overcome everything andeverybody next Nov. 29 in order to realise his dream of openingthe Jubilee Year of Mercy in Africa by opening the Holy Door ofthe cathedral of Bangui, the capital of the Central AfricanRepublic. French intelligence services, after failing topersuade the Pope to give up his trip - probably because it isimpossible to guarantee the safety of believers - will likelyreduce the Pope's travel plan and oblige him to celebrate massat the airport and make a quick stop at the cathedral -without, however, making the meaningful gesture of visiting theMosque on Monday, Nov. 30. The Pope's return to Rome willprobably be advanced to the afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 29. The Pope's aim however is not so much to fulfil his travel planas to open the Jubilee Year of the Catholic Church in theCentral African Republic, a country swept by civil war. TheCentral African Republic is awaiting the Pope's visit withgreat expectation, not only among the country's Christians butalso in the Muslim community, who expect the Pope "to give amessage of peace and reconciliation". So reported DavideMaggiore, the MISNA missionary service news agency's specialistin African affairs, on Vatican Radio on Tuesday. He believesthat it is detrimental to emphasise the link between the Paristerrorist attacks and the Pope's 11th apostolic voyage to Kenyaand Uganda, both of which are swept by ethnic conflicts, beforereaching his destination in the war-torn Central AfricanRepublic. Maggiore added: "The Pope's call on 'believers ofevery religion and all persons of good will to promote mutualunderstanding and respect' in a video message before hisdeparture on Wednesday is particularly important in Kenya." . .