Pope Francis slammed “brutal atrocities” committed in eastern DR Congo after hearing harrowing accounts of violence from the turbulent region during the second day of his visit to the conflict-torn country Wednesday.
KINSHASA, DR Congo —
Francis arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a deeply observant nation of some 100 million people, on Tuesday. “May he convert the hearts of those who carry out brutal atrocities, which bring shame upon all humanity,” the 86-year-old said. About 40 percent of the population of some 100 million people follows the church of Rome, according to estimates.
During a speech to politicians and dignitaries in Kinshasa’s presidential palace on Tuesday, Francis denounced the “economic colonialism” he suggested had wreaked lasting damage in the DRC. Many of the gathered Catholic faithful had arrived in the early hours to grab a spot on the tarmac. Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, as well as leading opposition figures, also attended the open-air mass.“As our country has many problems, it is reconciliation that we are looking for and the Pope will give a message so that the countries around us leave us in peace,” he added, a sentiment echoed by other mass-goers.
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