Pope calls for youths in Congo to reject corruption
KINSHASA, Congo — Pope Francis led Congo's young people in a rousing denunciation of political corruption on Thursday, turning an otherwise scripted meeting with church catechists into a rally that shook the capital's sports stadium.
Francis was repeatedly interrupted as some of the 65,000 people in Kinshasa's Martyrs' Stadium took up his call to say “No” to corruption and turned it into a demand for Congo's president to not run for a second term in elections later this year.
The Argentine pope denounced the “cancer of corruption” as he called for Congolese to create an honest future for themselves and their families.
“If someone offers you an envelope with a bribe, or promises you favors and lots of money, do not fall into the trap. Do not be deceived! Do not be sucked into the swamp of evil!” Francis said to cheers.
Transparency International ranks Congo 166th out of 180 on its corruption perception index, finding a direct correlation between political corruption and the high level of insecurity in the country. Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi says his administration is committed to fighting corruption, has denied any wrongdoing and has blamed foreign powers for the decades of violence in the east by rebels and armed militia groups.
More than two-thirds of Congo's population of around 100 million is under age 25, and the United Nations and humanitarian organizations have said the country's youths were particularly vulnerable to abuses.
Some in the stadium on Thursday said the lack of jobs fueled the conflict since there are few other options for young people to earn money legitimately.
“We have the impression that our leaders do absolutely nothing to improve the living conditions of the population and that these leaders minimize the capacity of the youth to improve things,” said Kavira Shukuru, 26.
Later Thursday, Francis met with Congo's priests and nuns at the capital's Notre Dame Cathedral and repeated his appeal to avoid corruption, vice and material comfort. “It is scandalous when this happens in the life of a priest or sister, for they should instead be models of sobriety and inner freedom,” he said.