Four Unforgettable Attributes Late Pope Francis Saw in the Church in DR Congo

In his maiden speech when he arrived in the DRC at the end of January 2023, late Pope Francis expressed concern about how the country that he described as “the diaphragm of Africa” was being exploited at denied autonomy.

“This country, so immense and full of life, this diaphragm of Africa, struck by violence like a blow to the stomach, has seemed for some time to be gasping for breath,” the late Pontiff said.

Pope Francis speaks at an audience with the Democratic Republic of Congo's authorities, diplomats, and representatives of civil society in the on Jan. 31, 2023, on the first leg of a six-day trip that will also include South Sudan. At right is President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Credit: Vatican Media

He reminded the people of God in the DRC that they were an important part of the universal Church, even as they fought to preserve their dignity and their territorial integrity “against deplorable attempts” to fragment the country.

Pope Francis meets with President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Jan. 31, 2023, on the first leg of a six-day trip that will also include South Sudan. Credit: Vatican Media

“I am here to embrace you and to remind you that you yourselves are of inestimable worth, that the Church and the Pope have confidence in you, and that they believe in your future, the future that is in your hands, your hands,” late Pope Francis said. 

2. A visible sign of Christ

In his final address at the tail end of his visit to DRC early February 2023, enroute to South Sudan, the late Pope Francis acknowledged enthusiasm, joy, and missionary zeal of Congolese Catholics amid their hardships.

In his encounter with the country’s Catholic Bishops, the late Pope Francis said that apart from DRC’s enthusiasm, the country had another “face”.

Pope Francis arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Jan. 31, 2023. The streets of the pope’s five-mile drive from the N’Dolo Airport to the presidential residence were lined with thousands of locals who cheered and waved flags. Credit: Vatican Media

“Sadly, I know that the Christian community of this land also has another face,” he said. “It is the face of a Church that suffers for its people, a heart in which the life of the people, with its joys and trials, beats anxiously; a Church that is a visible sign of Christ, who even today is rejected, condemned and reviled in the many crucified people of our world.”

He described the people of God in DRC as “a Church that weeps with their tears, and like Jesus, a Church that also wants to dry those tears.” 

3. Young, dynamic, joyful

Still, during his visit to the DRC in January-February 2023, the late Pope Francis described the country as “a young, dynamic and joyful Church.”

The Church in DRC, the late Pontiff observed, is “motivated by missionary zeal, by the good news that God loves us and that Jesus is Lord.”

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Pope Francis met with bishops, priests, and religious in St. Theresa Cathedral in Juba, South Sudan, on Feb. 4, 2023.

“Yours is a Church present in the lived history of this people, deeply rooted in its daily life, and in the forefront of charity,” the late Pope Francis said in his address to Catholic Bishops in the DRC.

He described the Congolese Church as “a community capable of attracting others, filled with infectious enthusiasm and therefore, like your forests, with plenty of ‘oxygen.’”

4. A lung

In his speech on 31 January 2023, the late Pope Francis described DRC as a “lung” of the world, owing to the country’s location.

Pope Francis celebrated Mass with around 1 million people in Kinshasa, DRC, on Feb. 1, 2023. | Vatican Media

“Situated in the heart of Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is host to one of the great green lungs of the world, which must be preserved,” the late Pope Francis said.

He called on other countries to rally behind the development of the country, without seeking to exploit it.

“As with peace and development, also in this area there needs to be an ample and fruitful cooperation that can permit an effective intervention without imposing external models that are more useful to those who help than to those who are helped,” the late Pontiff said.

On his second day in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa, Feb. 1, 2023, Pope Francis listened to the stories of victims of violence from the Democratic Republic of Congo’s conflict-ridden eastern region. | Vatican Media

He added, “Many have offered Africa help in the effort to combat climate change and the coronavirus. While these are certainly opportunities to be welcomed, the greatest need is for healthcare and social models that do not simply respond to pressing needs of the moment but help improve the life of society: through sound structures and honest and competent personnel.”

Pope Francis passed on Easter Monday, April 21. He was laid to rest on April 26 in his “beloved” Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major as he explained in his testament.

Pope Francis interacted with an energetic crowd of 65,000 young adults and catechists at Martyrs' Stadium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on Feb. 2, 2023. Vatican Media

The late Pontiff had suffered a stroke that was followed by a coma and an irreversible cardiovascular collapse. He had been struggling with double pneumonia and a respiratory infection.

The April 26 celebration has been described as a global farewell to a humble shepherd, who was at the helm of the Catholic Church for a little more than 12 years.