– In John-Paul II’s footsteps –
Vatican officials say a last-minute change of programme will only happen if Francis is made aware of a precise threat that could endanger the thousands of believers expected to come and see him, many of whom will be travelling long distances from neighbouring countries.
Francis is scheduled to use an open-topped Popemobile during the trip.
Aides say he is determined that the sombre context will not affect his plans, particularly for the CAR part of the trip, where he is due to open a “Holy Door” in Bangui’s cathedral 10 days before the start of a Catholic Jubilee Year dedicated to the themes of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Francis is the third pope to visit Africa, a continent which now counts one in six of the world’s Catholics and whose importance to the Church is set to grow significantly over the coming decades.
Paul VI became the first pope of modern times to set foot in Africa when he visited Uganda in 1969, while John Paul II, dubbed “The African” by a senior cleric, managed to visit a total of 42 countries on the continent during his long papacy.
With international climate change talks in Paris coming up immediately after the African trip, there will be particular interest in Francis’s comments when he visits the Nairobi headquarters of the UN’s Environment Programme (UNEP) and Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
In Uganda, he will honour Christian martyrs, celebrating a mass to commemorate the first African saints — 22 young men burned alive in 1886 by royal order because they refused to renounce their faith or become sexual slaves.
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