Pope Francis a pilgrim of peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan

From Saturday 2 to Thursday 7 July Pope Francis will make an Apostolic Journey to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. The Holy See Press Office published the itinerary for the Ecumenical Peace Pilgrimage.

The airplane with the Pope aboard will take off from Rome-Fiumicino Airport at 9:30 a.m. on 2 July, and at 4 p.m. will arrive at the Kinshasa “Ndjili” International Airport in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The welcome ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Palais de la Nation, where the Pope will pay a courtesy visit to the President of the Republic in the Salle Présidentielle.

At 6:30 p.m., the Pope will meet with Authorities and the Diplomatic Corps in the garden of the Palais de la Nation.

Pope Francis’ first day in Kinshasa will conclude with a private meeting with members of the Society of Jesus in the Apostolic Nunciature at 7:15 p.m.

On Sunday, 3 July, at 8 a.m., the Pope will celebrate Mass, at the end of which he will lead the Angelus at Ndolo Airport in Kinshasa. At 6 p.m., the Holy Father will meet with bishops, priests, religious, consecrated men and women and seminarians in the Cathedral Notre Dame du Congo.

At 6:45 a.m. on Monday, 4 July, the Pope will depart by airplane from Ndjili Airport to Goma, where he will arrive at 10:15 a.m. At noon he will celebrate Mass at Kibumba Camp. Then at 5 p.m., he will meet with the victims of the violence in Beni and in the East of Congo at the Goma Diocesan Welcome Centre. Then at 6:30 p.m., he will depart by airplane from Goma Airport to Kinshasa, where he will arrive at 8 p.m.

On Tuesday, 5 July, at 8:40, Pope Francis is scheduled to meet with young people and catechists in Martyrs’ Stadium in Kinshasa. The farewell ceremony in the Democratic Republic of Congo will take place at 10:10 a.m. at Kinshasa International Airport. The airplane with the Pope aboard will depart at 10:35 a.m. and arrive in Juba, South Sudan at 3 p.m.

The Holy Father is making the Journey to South Sudan together with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. It is an ecumenical peace pilgrimage to the South Sudanese land and people.

The welcome ceremony will take place at Juba International Airport. At 3:45 p.m., the Pope will pay a courtesy visit to the President of the Republic at the Presidential Palace in Juba, where he will also greet the Vice Presidents of the Republic. Then he will meet with authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps.

On Wednesday, 6 July, at 8:45 a.m., Pope Francis will visit a camp for internally displaced people in Juba. At 11:30 a.m., in the Apostolic Nunciature in Juba, he will hold a private meeting with the members of the Society of Jesus.

At 5 p.m., in the Cathedral of Saint Therese, the Pope will address bishops, priests, religious, consecrated persons and seminarians. The day will conclude with an Ecumenical Prayer at John Garang Mausoleum at 6:30 p.m.

Returning to the Mausoleum on Thursday, 7 July, the Holy Father will celebrate Mass at 8 a.m. From there he will travel to Juba International Airport for the farewell ceremony at 10:45 a.m.

The Pope is scheduled to depart from South Sudan by airplane at 11:15 a.m. and arrive at Rome-Fiumicino Airport at 6:05 p.m.