Pope Francis
The Head of The Catholic Church, Pope Francis is expected to arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo today for a three-day visit.
The last time a Pope visited DRC was in 35 years ago where John Paul II, visited the then Zaire. DRC is home to the largest Roman Catholic community in Africa according to the BBC.
However, there has been some controversy surrounding the Catholic leader’s visit to Kinshasa.
The BBC reports that some market workers in the city have been told to dismantle their stalls to make roads tidy before the pope’s arrival. This has left some people feeling aggrieved.
In a tweet released on Monday, Pope Francis asked for prayers for the journey ahead of his departure.
The authorities in DRC declared Wednesday a public holiday in the capital Kinshasa, to allow Catholics to attend a mass that will be led by Pope Francis at Ndolo Airport.
The pontiff will stay in Kinshasa until Friday before travelling to South Sudan’s capital, Juba, where he will be joined by his Anglican counterpart, the Archbishop of Canterbury and by the Church of Scotland Moderator.
