Francisco, messenger of peace, is already flying to Africa, the continent of hope

Francisco is already flying to African lands. A few minutes after eight in the morning, the flight to Alitalia took off from the airport "Leonardo Da Vinci" of Fiumicino. in the direction of Maputo, The capital of Mozambique. After ten hours and a half of flying and 7,825 kilometers, Bergoglio will land in the African country, which counts once again on the peace process for the resolution of its intestinal conflicts.

And Francisco comes to Mozambique as a messenger of a fragile but desired peace. Throughout these days, the pope will remember forgotten wars in Africa, poverty, the consequences of the climate crisis, exploitation and epidemics. Maputo, hoping for the Pope with hope, is the faithful witness after 17 years of civil war that has squandered the country's resources, killed one million people and made four other refugees.

Before leaving, Bergoglio published a tweet in which he invites the faithful to pray for God "consolidate fraternal reconciliation throughout Africa, the only hope for a strong and lasting peace"As usual, he visited Salus Romana late yesterday to ask for the success of his trip.

I invite everyone to join my prayer so that God, Father of all, consolidates fraternal reconciliation across Africa, the only hope for a strong and lasting peace. # Apostolic Journey#Mozambique#Madagascar#Mauricio

– Pope Francis (@Pontifex_en) September 4, 2019

Peace agreements

In his first speech to the presidency of Mozambique, the pope will remember the peace agreement signed on October 4, 1992 in Rome, thanks to the mediation of the Catholic movement of the community of San Egidio.

In the country heading towards new elections in October, Francisco will seek efforts to maintain the latest agreement reached in early August between President Filipe Nyusi and Mozambique's National Resistance Leader (Renamo), Ossufo Momade.

It will be a speech calling for reconciliation and dialogue that will spread to all conflicts on the continent.

Oggi ? with #PapaFrancesco in volo by #Mozambico#Madagascar e #Maurice. In the center of the viaggio and the grand temi del pontificato: the dopological rhythm of the fratricidal lot, the solidarization of the calamitous doping, the migration and the integration, the guard of the creator, the value of the local culture …#PapaInAfricapic.twitter.com/W0Mgq4sfmw

– Antonio Spadaro (@antoniospadaro) September 4, 2019

Mozambique is the tenth poorest countryAccording to the Human Development Index (HDI), in which 70% of the 28 million people live below the poverty line and 43% of children under 5 years of age suffer from chronic malnutrition, according to the data. the World Food Program (WFP).

Francisco also wants to make visible the help given by the Catholic Church in Africa. That's why he will visit Maputo at "Matteo 25 House", a place run by the nunciature and several congregations, where food, clothing and other services are provided daily. A hundred people (children, drug addicts, sick people, homeless) go directly to the street.

Cyclone idai

Although the pope was unable to settle in Biera, the second largest city in Mozambique, destroyed by the Cyclone Idai In March this year, Francisco will refer in his speeches to the natural disasters that the country has suffered and to one of the most affected by the increasingly frequent and devastating natural disasters due to the climate crisis.

He will also hold a meeting at the nunciature with the Xai-Xai Community, that in 2000, as a result of one of the floods, its territory was flooded by more than three meters of water, but in a few years they managed to rebuild the area and now constitute a important tourist engine of the country.

The community of #SantEgidio in #Mozambico Prepare and sing for Pope Francesco Nella Sua visit it #Secember in the center DREAM di Zimpeto for the cure di mamme and bambini affetti dall'Aids #papainafricapic.twitter.com/LHprmvQOnx

– Comunità Sant & Egidio (@santegidionews) September 3, 2019

The pontiff will visit the medical center of the DREAM project on September 6, promoted by the community of San Egidio, which treats AIDS patients in the district of Zimpeto, where 3,800 people are served.

Environment and deforestation

Francisco will surely launch a call for more investment and will call on the responsibility of the countries exploiting their natural resources.

Logging and the need for arable land for the majority of people living in agriculture are causing significant deforestation in Mozambique and Madagascar.

According to Global Forest Watch, a research platform that studies NASA satellite imagery from 2001 to 2018, Mozambique has lost 3 million hectares of forest, accounting for 11% of its forest area, and Madagascar 3.63 million hectareswhich equates to a 21% decrease.

Madagascar and Mauritius

The second leg of Francisco's trip will be Madagascar, one of the 20 poorest countries in the world and where Catholics represent 36%, from September 6th to 8th.

There, the pope will again highlight the epidemics that have hit Africa, for which only access to vaccines would be useful, and will welcome survivors of the measles epidemic who, from April 2018 to April 2019, caused 1,200 deaths Country.

One of the most important moments of the trip will be Francisco's visit to Akamasoa, the miracle city built on a dump by the Argentine missionary. Pedro Opeka, candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize, and where 25,000 people are now living in decent conditions.

The pontiff will only spend a few hours in Mauritius, on the other side of Africa, a country of luxury tourism, in the process of development, whose economy is growing at about 5% a year, and where Catholics coexist peacefully, 28% and the Hindu majority.