Pope Francis condemns ‘economic colonialism’ in Africa

Pope Francis vehemently criticized on Tuesday the “economic colonialism” that erupted in Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRCongo) on the first day of his visit to the African country.

“Hands off the Democratic Republic of the Congo, hands off Africa! Stop strangling Africa: this is not a mine to be exploited, and not a land to be plundered,” said Pope Francis, quoted by Agence France-Presse, to applause in front of the authorities and the diplomatic corps at the presidential palace in Kinshasa.

Pope Francis arrived in Kinshasa on Tuesday as part of the first leg of a seven-day trip that will also take him to South Sudan.

The head of the Catholic Church, quoted by the Associated Press (AP), demanded that foreign powers stop plundering Africa’s natural resources to “poison their greed” in a ceremony that took place after tens of thousands of people lined a road. the main road of the capital, Kinshasa, welcome you.

Calling the huge mineral and natural wealth of the Congo the “diamond of creation”, Francis demanded that foreign interests stop dividing the country in their own interests and recognize their role in the economic “enslavement” of the Congolese people.

“Stop strangling Africa: this is not a mine to be plundered, and not a land to be plundered,” stressed the first Hispanic pope in history, who has long condemned how rich countries exploit the resources of poorer countries for their own benefit. .

Thus, Pope Francis referred to the role that colonial powers such as Belgium played in exploiting the Congo until the country gained its independence in 1960.

“The poison of greed has stained the diamonds with blood,” Francis said, adding: “Let the world realize the catastrophic things that have been done over the centuries to the detriment of the local peoples and not forget this country and this continent.”

The huge crowds present upon arrival in Kinshasa recalled some of Pope Francis’ early trips to Catholic-majority countries, but this has not been the rule in recent years, especially as the Holy Father has chosen to visit lesser-known countries where Catholics are a minority.

“Dad is 86 years old, but he still came. This is a sacrifice and the Congolese people will not forget him,” Sultan Ntambwe, a 30-year-old bank clerk, commented with excitement as he waited for Francis to arrive.

Expected to be particularly challenging due to his mobility problems, Francisco 86’s 40th international trip was scheduled for July last year, but due to knee pain, it was postponed and has since security in the region has become more complex in both countries.

The current trip was also supposed to include a stop in Goma in eastern Congo, but the neighboring region of North Kivu is suffering heavy fighting between government forces and the March 23 (M23) rebel group, as well as attacks by extremists. groups “Islamic State”.

The fighting has displaced about 5.7 million people, a fifth of them in the past year alone, according to the World Food Programme.

Silvia Mwita, an economics student in Kinshasa, said in statements to AP that the Pope’s visit would help focus the world and the “media” on the DRC and the struggle in the east of the country, showing how the suffering endured in the region has been forgotten by the rest of the world.

“This will allow the world to discover the atrocities of which our brothers in the east of the country are victims. And, perhaps, this time, the little human that remains in some people will cause an awakening and the international community will not only be interested in what is happening in Ukraine, but also in what is happening in this country,” the girl emphasized.

Francis’ scathing criticism at the start of this trip to foreign powers indicates that the Pope wants to carry a message of peace and urge the international community not to look away and recognize that Africa is the future of the Catholic Church.

The African continent is one of the few places in the world where the number of Catholics is growing both in terms of the practice of believers and in terms of new vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

In this area, RDCongo stands out as the African country with the largest number of Catholics: half of its 105 million inhabitants are Catholics, and the country has more than six thousand priests, 10 thousand nuns and more than four thousand seminarians, which is 3.6%. of the total number of young people who have chosen the priesthood.

This makes Francis’ trip – his fifth trip to the African continent in his 10-year pontificate – all the more important as the Jesuit pope seeks to transform the church into a “field hospital for wounded souls” where “all are welcome.” the poor are given a special place, and rivals are urged to make amends.”