Pope calls for "aid without welfarism" in CongoAfter the apostolic trip to Africa, the Pope returned to the Vatican and held the Wednesday general audience in the Paul VI Hall. The audience welcomed the Holy Father with loud applause, which Francis gratefully received.
Pope Francis returned to the Vatican after his trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. Returning to his usual schedule, he held his Wednesday general audience in the Paul VI Hall, where he was greeted by a round of applause.
The audience began with the reading of the Word of God, specifically a passage from the Gospel according to St. Matthew, which speaks of Christians as the light of the world. After the proclamation of the Word, Francis spoke about his apostolic journey to Africa. The first thing he did was to thank God "who has allowed me to make this trip, which I have wanted for a long time". He also mentioned his two companions on the second stage, when he was in South Sudan, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, saying: "we went together to witness that it is possible and necessary to collaborate in diversity, especially if we share faith in Christ".
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Regarding the first stop of the trip, the Pope spoke of the Democratic Republic of Congo "as a diamond, for its nature, for its resources, above all for its people; but this diamond has become a source of contention, of violence and, paradoxically, of impoverishment for the people". In the face of this situation, Francis said "two words: the first is negative, 'Enough! Africa! The second is positive: together, together with dignity and mutual respect, together in the name of Christ, our hope".
In Kinshasa Francis had a meeting with victims of violence, during which he listened to "the powerful testimonies of some victims, especially women, who placed weapons and other instruments of death at the foot of the Cross. With them I said 'no' to violence and resignation, 'yes' to reconciliation and hope".
Later, he met with the leaders of various charities in the country, whom he thanked for their work: "Your work with the poor and for the poor does not make noise, but day after day makes the common good grow. For this reason, I stressed that charitable initiatives must always be promotional, that is, not only to assist but also to promote the development of individuals and communities".
Francis was also able to meet with young people and catechists, whom he described as the future of Africa. His enthusiasm for renewal and for the hope led him to indicate five ways for them to build a better future: "prayer, community, honesty, forgiveness and service".
In his last public meeting, in the cathedral of the capital, the Pope spoke to the clergy, seminarians and consecrated men and women. He exhorted them "to be servants of the people as witnesses to the love of Christ, overcoming three temptations: spiritual mediocrity, worldly comfort and superficiality. Finally, with the Congolese bishops, I shared the joy and the fatigue of pastoral service. I invited them to allow themselves to be consoled by the closeness of God and to be prophets for the people, with the power of the Word of God, to be signs of his compassion, his closeness and his tenderness.
South Sudan
The second leg of the trip took us to South Sudan. As the Pope said, "this visit had a very particular physiognomy, expressed by the motto that took up the words of Jesus: 'I pray that they may be one'. In fact, it was an ecumenical pilgrimage of peace, carried out together with the heads of two Churches historically present in that land: the Anglican Communion and the Church of Scotland. It was the culmination of a journey begun a few years ago, which had seen us meet in Rome in 2019 with the South Sudanese authorities to take on the commitment to overcome the conflict and build a new peace. peace".
Francis regretted that the peace process had not progressed over the years, so, meeting with the country's authorities, he invited them "to turn the page, to carry forward the peace agreement and the road map, to say decisively 'no' to corruption and arms trafficking and 'yes' to encounter and dialogue. Only in this way will there be development, people will be able to work in peace, the sick will be cured, children will be able to go to school".
Emphasizing the ecumenical character of the trip, the Pope highlighted the prayer with the two religious representatives who accompanied him. He considered this a necessary message on cooperation, because "it is important to witness that religion is fraternity, peace, communion; that God is Father and always and only wants the life and good of his children".
Due to the internal conflicts in South Sudan, the Holy Father met with internally displaced persons. During the dialogue, he especially addressed the women, "who are the force that can transform the country; and I encouraged everyone to be the seeds of a new South Sudan, without violence, reconciled and pacified".
Later, in the meeting with the clergy and consecrated people, he wanted to put Moses as an example for all the pastors of the Church. "Like him, shaped by the Holy Spirit, we can become compassionate and meek, detached from our interests and capable of struggling also with God for the good of the people entrusted to us."
At the end of the audience, the Pope wanted to mention "the Eucharistic celebration, the last act of the visit to South Sudan and also of the entire trip. During the Mass, Francis said, "I echoed the Gospel by encouraging Christians to be 'salt and light' in that land so tried and tested. God does not put his hope in the great and the powerful, but in the small and the humble".
This message is very timely, the Holy Father said, because God "continues to say it even today to those who trust in him. It is the mystery of God's hope, who sees a great tree where there is a small seed. Let us pray that, in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in South Sudan, and in all Africa, seeds of his Kingdom of love, justice and peace may sprout".
