After the Angelus, Pope Francis recalls the ecumenical character of his pilgrimage. Let us listen now to the message that your friends here beside me will read to us.
[ Announcement of the Apostolic Journey to Africa]
Dear brothers and sisters, in two days I will depart on an Apostolic Journey to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to the Republic of South Sudan. I thank the civil authorities and the local bishops for their invitations and for the preparations they have made for these visits, and I greet with affection those beloved peoples who await me.
These lands, situated in the centre of the great African continent, have suffered greatly from lengthy conflicts. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially in the east of the country, suffers from armed clashes and exploitation. South Sudan, wracked by years of war, longs for an end to the constant violence that forces many people to be displaced and to live in conditions of great hardship. In South Sudan, I will arrive together with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Together, as brothers, we will make an ecumenical pilgrimage of peace, to entreat God and men to bring an end to the hostilities and for reconciliation.
I ask everyone, please, to accompany this Journey with their prayers.
And I wish everyone a good Sunday. And please, do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and arrivederci!
