Pope Francis has called out the “poison of greed” that is driving conflicts in Africa and demanded that the rich world realize the importance of human life over the minerals in the earth.
During his visit to Kinshasa, the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo, the Pope received a vibrant welcome from tens of thousands of people.
However, his mood turned sombre as he addressed dignitaries at the presidential palace and condemned the exploitation of Congo’s vast mineral wealth, which has resulted in war, displacement and hunger.
He specifically called out the inhumane exploitation of workers and environmental degradation caused by the mining of minerals such as diamonds, gold, copper, cobalt, tin, tantalum, and lithium.
The Pope criticized rich countries for turning a blind eye to the tragedies in Congo and other parts of Africa.
In his address, Pope Francis did not take sides in the conflict between Congo and its neighbor Rwanda, which has been accused of backing the M23 rebel group fighting government troops in the east.
The Rwandan government has rejected these claims and described them as a distraction from the Congolese government’s poor performance and failure to deliver to its citizens.
The Pope emphasized that the Congolese people are fighting to preserve their territorial integrity against attempts to fragment the country.
Approximately 5.7 million people in Congo are internally displaced and 26 million face severe hunger, largely due to armed conflict.
The Catholic Church plays a crucial role in the country, running schools and health facilities, as well as promoting democracy. Over half of Congo’s population of 90 million are Roman Catholics.
Pope Francis’ trip was postponed last July due to a flare-up of a chronic knee ailment and his original plan to travel to Goma in the east was scrapped due to a resurgence of fighting between M23 rebels and government troops.
On Wednesday, the Pope will meet with victims of violence from the east and celebrate mass at a Kinshasa airport before flying to South Sudan, another African country grappling with conflict and poverty.
He will be accompanied on this leg of his journey by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Church of Scotland Moderator, in what they have described as a “pilgrimage of peace” to the world’s youngest nation.
