AFRICA/DR CONGO - "Joining forces in Christ": Catholics of the diocese of Goma prepare to welcome the Pope

Friday, 27 May 2022

Goma (Agenzia Fides) - "We must commit ourselves to be merciful and not dwell on the shortcomings we have observed, but to be motivated by the desire to overcome them in order to prepare for the meeting with the Successor of Peter, who is coming as a messenger of peace" said Msgr. Willy Ngumbi Ngengele, bishop of Goma, exhorting the Catholics of the diocese in view of the visit of Pope Francis scheduled for July, 2-5 2022 (see Fides, 5/3/2022). The bishop invited the people of God to intensify prayers and remain united as the Central African nation prepares for the pastoral visit of Pope Francis. "I urge you to unite forces more in Christ for an effective communion and participation", says Msgr. Ngumbi. "The Pope is coming at a very troubled moment in the life of our country. He will be in Goma, where there is a lot of tension with armed groups that spread terror for selfish reasons, even if it is the richest part of the country", said the bishop of Kikwit, Msgr. Timothée Bodika Mansiyai.
Pope Francis is expected to arrive in the capital of DRC, Kinshasa, on July 2 in his two-African-nation pastoral trip that is to see him proceed to Goma and then to South Sudan in an ecumenical trip alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Jim Wallace.
"Pope Francis confirmed that he is coming. Unless there are new developments", said Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Kinshasa, referring to the Pope's knee problems. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 27/5/2022)


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