Pope Francis has arrived in Kenya for first trip to Africa

 

pope-in-kenya1

Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya:

Receiving Pope Francis on his maiden visit to Africa. Kenya is honored to be the first country to host His Holiness the Pope. Join me in welcoming him to Kenya.

ABC NEWS
Pope Francis Arrives for First-Ever Trip to Africa
By DAVID WRIGHT NAIROBI
Kenya — Nov 25, 2015

As Pope Francis arrives in Africa, shortly after a rash of terrorist attacks in Beirut, Paris and Bamako, there is huge concern for his safety.

So, what is His Holiness worried about?

“I’m scared of the mosquitoes,” he told reporters traveling with him on the papal plane, cracking a big smile.

Francis arrived here in Nairobi on Tuesday, kicking off a 5-day trip to Africa, his first visit to the African continent. He’ll visit Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic before returning to Rome next Monday.

All three countries have seen more than their share of violence.

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In Kenya, Islamist militants have staged violent attacks on shopping malls and embassies in recent years.

In Uganda, the self-proclaimed Lord’s Resistance Army has terrorized the population.

The Central African Republic is embroiled in a bloody civil war, with Christian rebels fighting a Muslim government. Amnesty International has reported massacres of Muslim civilians, and other sources have reported instances of Muslims being cannibalized.

Concern is so great for Pope Francis’s security in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, that Vatican officials said they have considered cutting short the trip there.

As is his custom, Pope Francis shook hands with everyone traveling on the papal plane.

At a welcoming ceremony with the Kenyan president, he expressed his hope of helping to heal divisions here and renew the commitment to protect the region’s wealth of natural resources.

Speaking in English, he said: “Experience shows that violence, conflict and terrorism feed on fear, mistrust and the despair born of poverty and frustration.”

“I encourage you to foster a spirit of solidarity at every level of society,” he added. “I ask you in particular to show genuine concern for the needs of the poor, the aspirations of the young, and a just distribution of natural and human resources.”

In this former British colony, Pope Francis addressed his remarks in English but concluded in Swahili.

“Mungu abariki Kenya,” he said, which means “God bless Kenya.”

A spectator captures a photo of Pope Francis, with Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta, as they greet Maasai traditional dancers at the main airport in Nairobi on November 25, 2015 ©Simon Maina (AFP)

A spectator captures a photo of Pope Francis, with Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta, as they greet Maasai traditional dancers at the main airport in Nairobi on November 25, 2015 ©Simon Maina (AFP)

Pope in Kenyan Statehouse

Pope inside Kenyan Statehouse

CNN reports:

The Pope’s visit starts Wednesday in Kenya, followed by stops in Uganda and the Central African Republic — the latter a lawless conflict zone as Christian and Muslim gangs attack civilians for a second year.
His visit, which takes place despite the instability, highlights the Catholic Church’s explosive growth in Africa and how crucial the region is to the church’s future, experts say.
Africa’s Catholic population is growing faster than any other in the world, and is expected to skyrocket in the coming years, said Bill O’Keefe, a vice president at Catholic Relief Services, a church-affiliated U.S. humanitarian group that does work in Africa.
“The Catholic population there (Africa) has grown by 238% since 1980 and is approaching 200 million,” he said, attributing the numbers to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.
“If the current trends continue, 24% of Africans will be Catholic by 2040,” he added.

Read full article here

 

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