Pope Francis heading to war-torn DR Congo and South Sudan
Pope Francis will visit the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan this week, delivering a message of peace and reconciliation to two sub-Saharan African nations plagued by conflict. The 86-year-old pontiff is flying to the Congolese capital Kinshasa on Tuesday before heading Friday to Juba, the capital of South Sudan, where he will be joined by the leaders of the Anglican Church and the Church of Scotland. The six-day trip was originally planned for July 2022 but was postponed after Francis suffered problems with his knee, which have recently forced him to use a wheelchair. There were also concerns about his planned visit to the east of DR Congo, where scores of armed groups roam including M23, which recently came within several miles of the commercial hub of Goma. The new itinerary no longer includes a trip to Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province, though the pope will meet victims of the conflict while in Kinshasa. It will be the Argentine pontiff's 40th trip overseas since being elected head of the Catholic Church in 2013, and his fifth visit to Africa. Francis is due to speak publicly 12 times and hold meetings with local officials, clerics and charities,...