“The plan continues to be to go to the Central African Republic”.
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According to a study by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University, the number of Catholics in all of Africa could more than double to 460 million by 2040. One might think that after going insane over a coffee franchise’s red to-go cups sans “Merry Christmas” greeting, Fox News and religious conservatives’ heads would have exploded by now because the head of the Catholic Church called their special holiday a sham.
Previous popes recognized that reality.
Kenya and Uganda have both suffered deadly attacks by Islamist radical groups in recent years.
Concerns have arisen over security during the Pope’s six-day visit to Africa after extremists said to be fighting in the name of Islam attacked a hotel in Mali’s capital Bamako on November 20 that left at least 27 people dead, including 13 foreigners.
“The pope will be particularly welcome to Kenya because he has displayed, during his papacy, a capacity to look beyond Europe and embrace the concerns of people around the world”. The most striking symbol of the Pope’s security detail are the Swiss Guard soldiers, who serve as the Security of Vatican in general as well as being responsible for the personal safety of the Pope.
Interest in Francis’ visit has already dominated social media in parts of the continent, with #PopeinKenya or #TellthePope trending on Twitter, underscoring the keen sense of anticipation among the faithful.
The last stop of the visit, where Francis is scheduled to stay in the capital of Bangui for only one night, has prompted a host of questions about the pope’s security given continual violent clashes there between largely Muslim and Christian armed factions.
“I hope the Pope would say, ‘Love everyone, ‘ especially those who are still coming to church”.
Francis has sought to heal relations between the faiths by saying that Christians would be wrong to equate Islam with violence. In a continent where the hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church are sometimes reinforced by African traditional patriarchal norms of power and privilege, Pope Francis’ style of leadership offers a new model of service.
In the message sent to the people of the Central African Republic, Pope Francis – speaking in French – referenced the “joy which pervades me” on the occasion of the visit, while acknowledging the ongoing violence which has brought suffering to the war-torn nation.
Francis has not challenged the church’s teaching of same-sex relationships as “intrinsically disordered”, but he has pushed for a more pastoral approach to gay Catholics.
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But it’s unclear whether he will talk about the persecution of gays in Kenya or Uganda, where homosexual conduct is punishable by imprisonment. In Uganda, where homosexuality is illegal and where attacks against gays have forced many to seek refuge overseas or lead secret lives at home, gay leaders nevertheless hope Francis when he comes on Friday will weigh in with a firm message of tolerance. “Kenya is a country of many religions and important for the rest of the world”, he said.
