Pope Francis has arrived at a massive gathering of Ugandan youths for a pep rally before heading to the Central African Republic on Sunday on the final leg of his African pilgrimage.
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Flanked by Vatican bodyguards in flak jackets and machine-gun-toting United Nations peacekeepers, Pope Francis plunged Sunday into conflict-wracked Central African Republic and urged the country’s Christian and Muslim factions to lay down their weapons and instead arm themselves with peace and forgiveness.
Francis celebrated mass at Uganda’s holiest shrine, where he paid tribute to 19th century Christian martyrs, killed for their faith.
During his two days in Uganda, Francis is expected to touch on some of the same themes he emphasised during the first leg of his trip in Kenya: corruption, poverty and giving young Christians hope and encouragement.
Catholic faithful from neighbouring war-torn South Sudan were also there after travelling for 12 hours by bus to catch a glimpse of the Argentine pope, who has made humility and help for the poor a hallmark of his tenure. Imam Oumar Kobine Layama, presidennt of the Central African Islamic Community, said the country’s Muslims want the pope to pray for them all.
He says: “I am praying for peace, especially during this time of elections”. But Francis announced a few weeks ago that he would officially open the Holy Door of Bangui’s cathedral during his visit to kick off the yearlong celebration here. ‘They were fearless in bringing Christ to others, even at the cost of their lives’.
Crowds cheer as Pope Francis arrives at Kololo airstrip in Kampala, November 28, 2015.
France, which has around 900 soldiers deployed in the country, warned the Vatican this month that the visit could be risky but the pope was determined to go to the majority Christian nation.
There were concerns that Francis would cancel his trip to Bangui given the latest wave of violence that has left at least 100 people dead since late September.
Francis was driven in to the presidential palace, for much of the way in an open popemobile, and then to a camp housing almost 4,000 people displaced by the violence.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is among the dignitaries attending the Mass, where Francis is expected to praise the example set by the martyrs who were burned alive when they refused to renounce their faith. The martyrs, all of them either Catholic or Protestant, were executed between 1885 and 1887 by King Mwanga of Buganda.
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For almost three years, the Central African Republic has been embroiled in an inter-religious conflict that has effectively split the country in two.
