Pope Francis greets the crowd before celebrating Mass at Ndolo airport Feb. 1 in Kinshasa, Congo. (CNS/Paul Haring)
Pope Francis visited the Democratic Republic of Congo Jan. 31, 2023, followed by South Sudan from Feb. 3 to 5, 2023, where he was joined by the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the moderator of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields. The historic ecumenical trip marked the pope’s third visit to sub-Saharan Africa.
As Pope Francis prepares to arrive Feb. 3 in South Sudan, religious sisters hope his visit will stir political leaders to finally come together and agree to restore peace to the youngest country in the world.
