Kinshasa (EFE).- Pope Francis today asked the more than one million people who attended the mass on the esplanade of the Ndolo airport in Kinshasa to help break the “circle of violence” in a country torn apart by the wars and violence for decades.
In a ceremony where singing and dancing did not stop, the Pope began his homily by expressing his joy: “I have longed for this moment a lot, thank you for being here!”, he said, after he had to postpone this visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo scheduled for July last year due to knee problems.
In his homily, the Pope spoke to them about achieving peace in a country that has been at war for more than three decades and pointed out that the “three sources to continue feeding it. They are forgiveness, community and mission.
“How much good it does us to cleanse our hearts of anger, of remorse, of all resentment and envy! Dear friends, may today be the moment of grace to welcome and experience the forgiveness of Jesus! That the moment is right for you, that you carry a heavy load on your heart and you need it removed to be able to breathe again, “he told them.
And at a time when there is an upsurge in violence, especially in the east, on the border with Rwanda and where there are about 120 armed groups, the Pope urged them: “Lay down your arms, embrace mercy.”
Sharing with the poor
The Pope addressed the members of the Church and told them that they also run the risk of “being together, but walking on their own, looking in society, and also in the Church, for power, career, ambitions.” ».
And in order not to fall into the false illusions of power and money, the Argentine pontiff affirmed that the “path is to share with the poor.” “Let us start anew from the poor and we will discover that we all share interior poverty” and “with God’s help, let us build a Church empty of worldly spirit and full of the Holy Spirit, free of wealth for itself and full of brotherly love”.
«Brothers, sisters, we are called to be missionaries of peace, and this will give us peace. It’s a choice; it is to make room in our hearts for everyone, it is to believe that ethnic, regional, social and religious differences come later and are not obstacles”, Francisco added.
And in one of the most massive acts of his pontificate, in this country of 45 million Catholics, he also invited Christians “to break the cycle of violence, to dismantle the plots of hatred.”
congolese rite
The Pope presided only at the mass due to his knee problems and it was celebrated with the so-called Congolese rite, an adaptation of the Roman rite for the dioceses of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, approved by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. on April 30, 1988, when the country was still called Zaire.
It is the only rite based on inculturation approved after the Second Vatican Council and the objective was to incorporate the Roman liturgy into African culture, since the bishops realized that the faithful did not feel sufficiently involved in the masses.
In addition to small details, it is characterized above all by the introduction of songs and dances also by the priest during the ceremony and by the call to protect deceased loved ones.
