Pope appeals for peace in Central African Republic
Pontiff praised for visiting amid conflict between Christians, Muslims
Pope Francis arrived Sunday in the war-weary Central African Republic and promptly issued a plea for the nation’s fighting factions of Christians and Muslims to make peace.
“To all those who make unjust use of the weapons of this world, I make this appeal: Lay down these instruments of death!” he said at a Mass held in Bangui, the country’s capital. “Arm yourselves instead with righteousness, with love and mercy, the authentic guarantors of peace.”
The pope stressed the Christian call to love all enemies, saying it will protect people and nations “from the temptation to seek revenge and from the spiral of endless retaliation.”
Nearly 1 million people have been forced from their homes by fighting between Christian and Muslim militants since President Francois Bozize was ousted in a coup by mainly Muslim rebels in 2013. Security issues raised concerns about whether the pope could include the country of less than 5 million people in his historic six-day African trip.
After Francis arrived Sunday, President Catherine Samba-Panza thanked him for his “lesson in courage” in overcoming security concerns to make the trip, saying his presence showed the “victory of faith over fear.”
The pope later said priests and nuns must lead the charge for justice in the beleaguered nation.
“From this cathedral I reach out, in mind and heart, and with great affection, to all the priests, consecrated men and women, and pastoral workers of the nation, who are spiritually united with us at this moment,” he said. He asked them to help him greet “the sick, the elderly, those who have experienced life’s hurts. Some of them are perhaps despairing and listless, asking only for alms, the alms of bread, the alms of justice, the alms of attention and goodness.”
Arriving from Uganda, the pope tweeted, “I come to the Central African Republic as a pilgrim of peace and as an apostle of hope.”
The pontiff visited a refugee camp — thousands of people have lived at a camp at Bangui’s airport for almost two years.
“My wish is that you can live in peace, regardless of your ethnic group, your culture, your religion and your social background,” the pope told some of the refugees. “Everybody living in peace because we are all brothers.”
Sandrine Sanze said she and her family had returned to the camp for a second time because of recent clashes.
“It is our prayer that with the pope’s visit that peace will return, we can go home and life can start anew,” she told the Associated Press.
Francis also met with representatives of evangelical communities, saying “the lack of unity among Christians is a scandal, because it is contrary to God’s will.” He also stopped at a children’s hospital in Bangui, chatting and delivering medicine.
The United Nations refugee agency called on the warring groups to use the pope’s visit to “rebuild national reconciliation.”