Pope Francis In Africa

“The Holy Father has brought a message of hope to all of us in East Africa”.

“All too often, young people are being radicalised in the name of religion to sow discord and fear, and to tear at the very fabric of our societies”, he stated. The name of God “must never be used to justify hatred and violence”.

Later on Thursday, the Pope spoke to a huge throng of Kenyans at a rain-drenched open-air mass at the University of Nairobi.

Homosexuality is illegal in most of Africa with South Africa being the only African country that where gay or lesbian marriage is legal.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance”, said Nganda Paul, who works at a tea factory outside Nairobi.

It is through Capital FM managing editor Michael Mumo and Daily Nation’s political editor Bernard Namunane that we learnt the Pope is afraid of mosquitoes.

The mass at the University of Nairobi – also shown on giant television screens in neighbouring parks – was the pope’s first major public appearance and a highly-anticipated part of his three-day visit to Kenya.

The pontiff noted that, “By caring for the spiritual growth of our communities, by forming minds and hearts in the truths and values taught by our religious traditions, we become a blessing to the communities in which our people live”.

According to L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican’s newspaper, when he greeted the pilot that took him to Kenya, he said “I really want to go to the Central African Republic”. “He’s keeping up with the world”.

Climate change, like poverty, is a hallmark issue for Francis, the first leader at the Vatican who hails from the developing world.

President Kenyatta called on the Pope to pray that Kenya succeeds in its fight against corruption.

Francis has been outspoken about the ills of corruption, which in July he called “the gangrene of society”.

Based on previous remarks the pope has made on LGBT issues, activists have reached out in the hopes that he will address gay tolerance on his visit.

Quoting his own document, Francis said that the response to the challenge needs to take into account the “fundamental rights of the poor and the underprivileged”. The association helped plan the Pope’s visit.

In the capital city of Dar es Salaam, big groups of people including youths, women, and men, gathered at various areas including recreational halls to watch the pontiff’s activities in Nairobi about 1,200 kilometers away. The highway leading from the airport was lined with posters bearing images of the pontiff.

Religious leaders need to be “prophets of peace”, he said at a meeting with representatives of Kenya’s faith groups, including Anglicans, other Protestants, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and Jews.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, a Catholic who attended Mass, reshuffled his cabinet this week after several ministers were embroiled in graft allegations. There were red carpets rolled out where he walked, even when he earlier planted a tree in front of the United Nations Nairobi headquarters.