Tag: Pope Francis I

Pope Francis I in Africa

On By Dr. Y.In Great Moments4 Comments
Pope Francis (R) waves as he arrives on the popemobile for the mass at the N’Dolo Airport in Kinshasa. [Source: Arsene Mpiana/AFP – Al Jazeera]

Pope Francis visited Africa 5 times in his 12 years, traveling to 10 countries on the continent. His first visit took him to Kenya, the Central African Republic (CAR), and South Sudan in November 25  – 30, 2015. His second visit was to Morocco in March 30 – 31, 2019; his third visit was to Mozambique, Madagascar, and Mauritius in September 4 – 9, 2019; while his last visit was in February 2 – 5, 2023, to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and again South Sudan. His visits supposedly focused on inter-religious dialogue Christian-Muslim as in CAR, peace building as in South Sudan, and social justice. He denounced corruption and economic colonialism, and even ‘asked’ colonial powers to let Africa flourish, which many people saw mostly as symbolic empty words. Let us ponder below, on some of his visits.

Central African Republic (CAR) flag

As we all know, there are no coincidences, and no charity! Why would the Pope visit CAR, one of the worlds’ ‘poorest’ countries? Because he loved peace? Because he loved the poor so much?  It is important to remember that CAR has a lot of diamond mines and … uranium. Remember how Bokassa used to give Valéry Giscard d’Estaing ostrich-egg-size diamonds? During his visit to the DRC, the Pope made a grand speech stating all the things Africans love to hear, Pope says Hands off Africa: “Hands off the Democratic Republic of the Congo! Hands off Africa! Stop choking Africa, it is not a mine to be stripped or a terrain to be plundered.” Why would the Pope visit the DRC just after the big signing of cobalt and copper mines to the US, and after Anthony Blinken, the Belgian king, …? Or South Sudan? Did you know that South Sudan has the 3rd largest oil fields in Africa behind Nigeria and Angola? This is not an attack on religion or the Pope, it is just facts! President Charles De Gaulle of France once said that, “states do not have friends, they only have interests.”  

Flag of Mozambique

In 2019, the Pope visited Mozambique just before the major signing of the biggest gas fields in the world to the French firm Total and a condominium of commercial banks from around the world descended upon it? Ever since that 15 billion dollars contract with the French firm Total for the oil in Cabo Delgado, and the discovery of one of the largest oil, gas, diamonds, rubies fields in the world, peace in northern Mozambique has become evasive (Who/What did we say goodbye to in Africa in 2020?). Mozambique is home to some of the world’s largest ruby mines with Montepuez Ruby mine being the most significant … guess where it is located… Cabo Delgado! We are now to believe that Islamists jumped over Congo, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, to land in… Mozambique to start an Islamic insurgency! After his Mozambican visit, Pope Francis sent money to help the people and children of Mozambique who have been displaced by conflict! … Why did the Vatican not help the government of Samora Machel in their fight for independence back in the days? or some of the more recent governments? Why send money for the displaced, and not force for peace or have peace summits (not that these help anyways), etc? It is no secret the part that the Vatican played in the Angolan Civil War between the MPLA of Jose Eduardo Dos Santos and the UNITA of Jonas Savimbi, so it is only fair to be skeptical about a pope touring these very rich countries.  

Papal bull from Nicholas V (Source: © Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo (Lisboa, Portugal) – Uhem-Mesut.com)

In 2023, a Vatican statement said the papal bulls, or decrees, “did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples” and “therefore [the Vatican] repudiates those concepts that fail to recognize the inherent human rights of Indigenous peoples, including what has become known as the legal and political ‘doctrine of discovery.’” It has been 2 years since this “rejection of the ‘Doctrine of Discovery’”, and we can now state that it was all words … no actions! [Vatican rejects ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ used to Justify Colonial Quest and Theft of Land, Dum Diversas or The Vatican’s Authorization of Slavery].

Le partage de l'Afrique a la Conference de Berlin de 1884
The Scramble for Africa at the 1884 Berlin Conference

Maybe now, we will see an African pope? Everyone acknowledges that the Catholic church’s future is in Africa, but the African presence in the Vatican is still sparse. We doubt that there will now be an African pope, but even if there is, it will probably be a bonnet blanc et blanc bonnet like Obama, and one used just like him or Kofi Annan before him, to usher some of the greatest atrocities on the continent. Thus, dear African, please don’t sleep! As the Catholics of the world mourn, sympathize; but don’t get distracted! This is the era of the New Scramble for Africa … Stay awake! Sharpen your minds and weapons, and free yourself! Let us not forget that the original Scramble for Africa started with missionaries as Sengat-Kuo showed in his poem ‘Ils Sont Venus’ / ‘They Came’. 

So Long to the Pontifical Leader

On By Dr. Y.In Great MomentsLeave a comment
Pope Francis (R) waves as he arrives on the popemobile for the mass at the N’Dolo Airport in Kinshasa. [Source: Arsene Mpiana/AFP – Al Jazeera]

Pope Francis I, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State, passed away this Monday April 21st, on Easter Monday. Jorge Mario Bergoglio was the first Latin American pontiff in world history, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, the first from the Society of Jesus (Jesuit order), and the first born or raised outside of Europe since the 8th century Syrian pope Gregory III.  He sat at the realm of the Catholic Church for 12 years, as its 266th pope. His time as pontiff has been seen by many as controversial. 

Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1936. He came from an Italian family, his dad being an Italian immigrant in Argentina, and his mother from a family from northern Italy. He was inspired to join the Jesuits in 1958 after recovering from a severe illness. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969. He quickly rose through the ranks to serve as the Jesuit provincial superior in Argentina from 1973 to 1979. He became the archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was made cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II.

Flag of Argentina

After the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, Bergoglio was elected at the end of the papal conclave to succeed him on March 13, 2013. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi,  the patron saint of the environment, animals and birds. 

Throughout his public life, his leadership was defined by his dedication to social justice and support to the marginalized. However, he was accused by some of not doing enough to oppose the generals of the brutal military dictatorship that governed Argentina between 1976 and 1983 – especially after the military kidnapped two priests.

He maintained that the Catholic Church should be more sympathetic toward LGBTQ people, and in 2023, he stated that although blessings of same-sex unions are not permitted, the LGBTQ individuals can be blessed as long as blessings are not given in a liturgical context. This was met by significant criticism from his members. Francis strongly opposed trickle-down economics, consumerism, and excessive development, emphasizing the urgent need for climate action throughout his papacy. However, the greatest challenge to his papacy came from those who accused him of failing to tackle child abuse.

With his election to the pontifical office, there was hope for him to rejuvenate the church, and expand to other parts of the world. As Pope, he appointed more than 140 cardinals from non-European countries – including 15 in December 2024.

Papal bull from Nicholas V (Source: © Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo (Lisboa, Portugal) – Uhem-Mesut.com)

Over the years, he visited 68 countries on all continents, including a) Africa: 10 countries, focusing on peace-building, social justice, and interfaith dialogue; b) Asia: 22 countries, emphasizing religious tolerance and environmental concerns; c) Europe: 23 countries, addressing migration, economic inequality, and Catholic unity; d) North & South America: 12 countries, advocating for indigenous rights, poverty alleviation, and climate action.

Early in 2022, Francis expressed “shame and sorrow” for the Catholic Church’s role in abuses against the Indigenous peoples in Canada. He apologized for the church’s role in “projects of cultural destruction” and forced assimilation. Near the former Ermineskin Indian Residential School, the site of a search for unmarked graves, Francis said: “I humbly beg forgiveness for the evil committed by so many Christians against the Indigenous peoples.” Vatican rejects ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ used to Justify Colonial Quest and Theft of Land. We are allergic to words without actions… and as you can see this was just it!

Pope Francis visited Africa 5 times in his 12 years, going to 10 countries. His first visit to the continent took him to Kenya, the Central African Republic (CAR), and South Sudan in November 25  – 30, 2015. His second visit was to Morocco in March 30 – 31, 2019; his third visit was to Mozambique, Madagascar, and Mauritius in September 4 – 9, 2019. His last visit was in February 2 – 5, 2023, to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and again South Sudan (The Pope Visits the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan). His visits supposedly focused, on paper, on inter-religious dialogue Christian-Muslim as in CAR, peace building as in South Sudan, and social justice. He ‘denounced’ corruption and economic colonialism, and even ‘asked’ colonial powers to let Africa flourish, Pope says Hands off Africa: “Hands off the Democratic Republic of the Congo! Hands off Africa! Stop choking Africa, it is not a mine to be stripped or a terrain to be plundered. In Africa, although pope Francis addressed clerical abuse scandals, many felt that he did not denounce child abuse on the continent as much as he did in other parts of the world.

As days go by, we will discuss further.