KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Pope Francis demanded that foreign powers stop plundering Africa’s natural resources for the “poison of their own greed” Tuesday as he arrived in Congo to a raucous welcome from Congolese, grateful that he was focusing the world’s attention on his forgotten plight.
Tens of thousands of people lined the main highway into the capital Kinshasa to welcome Francis after he landed at the airport, some three or four in the background, with children in school uniforms in the front row.
It was a scene reminiscent of some of Francis’ early trips to majority Catholic countries, but one that has not been the norm in recent years as he opted to go to smaller countries closer to home, where Catholics are often a minority.
“The Pope is 86 years old but he came anyway. It is a sacrifice and the Congolese people will not forget it,” said Sultan Ntambwe, a bank agent in his 30s, as he waited for Francis to arrive.
Francis plunged headlong into his agenda upon arrival, decrying the centuries-old exploitation of Africa by colonial powers, today’s multinational extractive industries, and neighboring countries interfering in Congo affairs, leading to an increase in fighting in the east.
“Hands off the Democratic Republic of the Congo! Hands off Africa!” Francis said to applause in his opening speech before the Congolese government authorities and the diplomatic corps in the garden of the Kinshasa national palace.
Calling Congo’s vast mineral and natural wealth a “diamond of creation,” Francis demanded that foreign interests stop dividing up the country for their own interests and acknowledge their role in the economic “enslavement” of the Congolese people.
“Stop suffocating Africa: it is not a mine to be plundered or land to be plundered,” said the first Latin American pope in history, who has long criticized how rich countries have exploited the resources of the poorest for their own benefit.
The trip was originally scheduled for July but was postponed due to Francis’ knee problems, which on Tuesday were so severe that he was forced to use a wheelchair.
The trip was also supposed to include a stop in Goma in eastern Congo, but the surrounding North Kivu region has been plagued by heavy fighting between government troops and the M23 rebel group, as well as attacks by militants linked to the group. Islamic State. .
The fighting has displaced some 5.7 million people, a fifth of them in the past year alone, according to the World Food Program.
Instead of traveling there, Francis will meet a delegation of people from the east who will travel to Kinshasa for a private meeting at the Vatican embassy on Wednesday. The plan calls for them to participate in a ceremony in which they jointly pledge to forgive their attackers.
Francis’ harsh words at the beginning set the tone for the trip, in which the pontiff intends to bring a message of peace, a warning to the international community not to look the other way, and an acknowledgment that Africa is the future of the Church. catholic. .
The continent is one of the only places on Earth where the Catholic flock is growing, both in terms of practicing faithful and fresh vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
The Congo stands out as the African country with the most Catholics without a doubt: half of its 105 million inhabitants are Catholics, the country has more than 6,000 priests, 10,000 nuns and more than 4,000 seminarians: on 3, 6% of the world total of young men studying for the priesthood.
Aid groups hoped Francis’ six-day visit would highlight some of the world’s forgotten conflicts and their rising humanitarian costs, and reignite international attention amid donor fatigue over new aid priorities in Ukraine.
Francis responded to his call, pointing a finger at the role colonial powers like Belgium played in exploiting Congo until the country gained independence in 1960, and is played by neighboring countries today.
Francis did not identify Belgium or any neighboring country by name. Rwanda has been accused of supporting the M23 rebels operating in Congo, and has repeatedly denied this.
“The poison of greed has stained your diamonds with blood,” Francisco said. “May the world recognize the catastrophic things that have been done over the centuries to the detriment of local people, and may they not forget about this country and this continent.”
“We cannot get used to the bloodshed that has marked this country for decades, causing millions of deaths that remain largely unknown elsewhere,” he said.
At the same time, he urged the Congolese authorities to work for the common good and not for tribal, ethnic or personal interests; and end child labor and invest in education so Congo’s “most precious diamonds” can shine brightly.
Congolese faithful flocked to Kinshasa for Francis’ main event, a mass on Wednesday at the Ndolo airport that is expected to draw some 2 million people.
The second leg of Francis’ trip will take him to South Sudan, the world’s youngest country where continued fighting has hampered the implementation of a 2018 peace deal to end a civil war.
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