POPE FRANCIS ON CONGO & PALESTINE

Pope Francis (1936-2025), arguably the most progressive pope in generations, died on 21 April following a recent cerebral stroke that put him into a coma and led to heart failure. 

The pope is the leader of the Catholic Church, which claims 1.4 billion followers worldwide. Nowhere was his moral clarity more evident than in his unwavering concern for the world’s most oppressed regions. For instance, Africa shows the greatest growth amongst Catholics at 3.31 per cent between 2022 and 2023, bringing the total adherents on the continent to 281 million, according to the Catholic News Agency. Yet, the pope saw not just faith but a people still rising through the wreckage of empire.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, he condemned the exploitation of people and minerals alike. In Palestine, he dared to speak for peace while certain states muffled dissent.

So, to celebrate his life, we’ve gathered some of his most powerful words, spoken in solidarity with Congo and Palestine.

Have a read, and share your reflections.

Sources

https://www.instagram.com/p/DItq_qzJ2XP/?img_index=5

https://www.palestinechronicle.com/pope-francis-passing-his-key-statements-on-gaza-and-the-ongoing-genocide

January 31 quote: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2023/january/documents/20230131-autorita-repdem-congo.html

February 1 quote:

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2023/february/documents/20230201-vittimeest-repdem-congo.html

Cause of death

https://apnews.com/live/pope-francis-dies-catholic-church-updates

African growth

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/262883/worldwide-catholic-population-hits-14-billion#:~:text=Concretely%2C%20there%20has%20been%20a%201.15%%20increase,in%202022%20to%20281%20million%20in%202023.