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Vatican City (AP)
Pope Francis greeted members of the Congolese community in Rome on Sunday and wished them peace and joy in their native language in a particularly lively ceremony at St Peter’s Basilica on Sunday.
Francis, 85, was due to make a pilgrimage to Congo and South Sudan from July 2 to 7. But the trip was canceled last month after persistent knee pain caused the Pope to use a wheelchair or crutches in recent weeks.
His delayed trip was due to travel to Congo on Sunday to celebrate Mass at the airport in the capital Kinshasa.
Instead, about 2,000 people of Congolese or Congolese descent joined the pope at Mass at the Vatican. They applauded when Francis began his sermon with a few words in Congolese.
Devotees recite prayers in the country’s four official languages, Swahili, Lingala, Chiluba and Kikongo.
“Christians always bring peace,” Francis said, reflecting the theme of reconciliation that runs through his plans for the African pilgrimage.
In sharp contrast
The colorful clothing and energetic singing of the congregation contrasts with the usually sombre attire and chants of clergy, nuns and laypeople at many church ceremonies.
A day earlier, Francis sent a video message to the people and leaders of Congo and South Sudan, urging them to forge new paths of reconciliation, peace and development. He expressed disappointment at not being able to travel this month, but promised to visit soon.
The Pope encouraged him again in his homily on Sunday.
“Today, dear brothers and sisters, let us pray for peace and reconciliation in the Congo,” Francis said. Despite being rich in natural resources, he is one of the poorest countries in the world, which he describes as “so wounded and exploited”.
The Catholic Church played a role in the establishment of Congolese democracy and advocated for human rights in Congo. The church deployed around 40,000 election observers to monitor the 2019 vote that made Felix Tshisekedi president, the first peaceful and democratic transfer of power in Congo since independence from Belgium in 1960 .
At the end of the Mass, the nun Rita Mboshu Kongo addressed the Pope in Italian, thanking him for his care for Africa, wishing him good health and saying that the Congolese people are waiting for his visit with open arms .
Francis, on crutches, hobbled a few steps to his wheelchair, as an assistant pushed him away from the cathedral, while the faithful waved and sang cheerfully.
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