Kinshasa, 12 October, 2019 / 1:57 am (ACI Africa).
As Pope Francis conferred the red hat on 13 new Cardinals on Friday, October 4 at the Vatican signifying their willingness to shed their blood for the Church, a delegation from Africa’s second largest country, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) was in Rome to witness and celebrate the elevation of their compatriot to Cardinal.
Local Ordinary of one of the continent’s single largest ecclesiastical territories, Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo Besungu OFM Cap. of Kinshasa Archdiocese was the only African-born among the 13 made Cardinals.
Some members of the DR Congo delegation in Rome who included the country’s government officials led by the President Felix Tshisekedi, opposition leaders, religious men and women, family members as well as lay people have shared their impressions on the elevation event.
“It is a great joy for our country to have a Cardinal and today it was normal that the institutions of the Republic could be represented at this event,” First Vice President of DR Congo’s Senate, Samy Badibanga has been quoted as saying at an event hosted in honor of the new Cardinal at Ergife Hotel in Rome.
For the speaker of the National Assembly, Jean Mabunda, the elevation of the Archbishop of Kinshasa “is an honour already because the country has 32 million Catholics.”
