Pope Francis to visit Central African Republic

Pope Francis has called on the Central African Republic to take inspiration from the national motto of “unity, dignity and work” to overcome the religious conflict that has claimed the lives of thousands of people over the past two years.

The chief imam at the mosque, Tidiani Moussa Naibi, thanked Francis for his visit, which he said was “a symbol which we all understand”.

Francis on Sunday visited a camp in Bangui and told its almost 4,000 residents, most of whom were chased from their homes by armed Muslims, that “peace without love, friendship and tolerance is nothing”.

“I have lived here in poverty for more than 20 years”, said Anyango.

His security detail of United Nations and French troops and the papal secret service was bolstered as Francis met with Muslim leaders in the embattled district, where he pronounced: “God is peace”.

Interim president Catherine Samba-Panza told reporters on Saturday that the Pope is being awaited as a “peace messenger”.

Allen said that, in spite of the risks, Pope Francis had been highly motivated to visit the Central African Republic, likely out of a conviction that “this was a place, uniquely, where perhaps a Christian spiritual leader could move the ball in the direction of peace”.

Pope Francis is making a rare trip to a besieged Muslim enclave inside Central African Republic on the second day of his trip to the country wracked by sectarian violence. In this context it should be recalled that 63 percent of the population of the auto are Christian, 15 percent are Muslim.

For too long, too many Central Africans have been suffering, the pope said. He assured them that he was on their side in this work and concluded by wishing them “peace, a great peace”, in which people may live together in harmony irrespective of their ethnic origin, culture, religion or social status.

“I come to the Central African Republic as a pilgrim of peace and as an apostle of hope”, he tweeted Sunday after his arrival.

The tight security continued in the afternoon when he opened a “holy door” at the city’s cathedral for a symbolic local start of the Roman Catholic Church’s jubilee year on the theme of mercy.

The events – the last in the pontiff’s November 25-30 tour of Kenya, Uganda, and this country – were part of a determined push by the pontiff to show the possibility of Muslim-Christian coexistence, even amidst a past of horrific violence.

Pope Francis ventured into one of the world’s most unsafe neighborhoods on Monday to implore Christians and Muslims to end a spiral of hate, vendetta and bloodshed that has killed thousands over the past three years and divided a nation. After the pope finished his homily, he stepped down from his sanctuary and greeted Layama before anyone else.

The rite of the opening of the holy door is meant to symbolize an “extraordinary path” toward salvation during the time of jubilee. Some followed the pope’s entourage all the way to the sports stadium where he said a final Mass before heading to the airport for his flight back to Italy.

On Monday, Redepouzou entered the stadium in his wheelchair decorated in the flags of Central African Republic and was approached by the pope as he made his way around the track inside.