“Together, we say no to hatred, to vengeance and violence, especially that committed in the name of a religion or God”.
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Pope Francis wrapped up his six-day trip to Africa in the war-torn Central Africa Republic on Monday by warning that religious conflicts are spawning civil war, terrorism and suffering throughout the continent. “It’s a martyr of exploitation over history”, Pope Francis said.
A few minutes before Pope Francis and his entourage left the Kampala airport in Uganda, he reportedly told the pilot that he’d like to go to the Central African Republic (C.A.R.), but if it was too hard, the pilot should just fly over and he’d parachute down.
On the last leg of a three-nation tour of Africa, the leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholic visited a flashpoint Muslim neighbourhood in Bangui on what was the most risky part of his 24-hour visit. Mobs attacked Muslims in the streets, decapitating and dismembering many and setting their corpses ablaze.
“Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters”. He has a final Mass in Bangui’s sports stadium later Monday before returning to Rome.
“We have live in fear for many years, and I hope his visit will bring a lasting peace to our people”.
After the meeting with Muslim representatives, Francis addressed tens of thousands of the faithful at an open-air Mass. He rode into the stadium in the Popemobile, waving to ecstatic crowds.
While the two opposing militias are identified by their religious affiliations, Muslim and Catholic leaders disavow the perpetrators of violence.
Landlocked Central African Republic descended into bloodshed after longtime Christian leader Francois Bozize was ousted by rebels from the mainly Muslim Seleka force in March 2013.
This global political intervention is scary to some people, as if this “idea” of climate change is not only not-a-threat, but also, not-proven; indeed, some people – around the internets – are anxious that concern for the planet is nothing more than a ploy towards actualizing this supposedly-not-already-here-but-we-reject-it-if-it-is-not-Christendom-or-conservatism one global political and economic system. All of the remaining Muslims that have sheltered from sectarian violence in the neighborhood of PK 12 in Bangui, over one thousand, have been evacuated towards the northern town of Kabo and Sido on the border with Chad.
Christian militias known as anti-balaka fighters battled back, carrying out revenge attacks against Muslim communities. “For all of us are God’s children”, Francis said in his pre-trip message.
On a similar line, Francis also defended Islam, saying that Muslims have many constructive values.
The pope publicly expressed “closeness and solidarity to Rev. Nicolas Guerekoyame-Gbangou, president of the Evangelical Alliance of the Central African Republic, whose home was recently ransacked and set on fire, as was the meeting-place of his community”. The crowd erupted in cheers as Redepouzou popped a wheelie and spun his wheelchair around in joy after receiving the blessing.
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“We are living at a time when religious believers, and persons of goodwill everywhere are called to foster mutual understanding and respect, and to support each other as members of our one human family”. “I’m ready to reconcile with them”.
