By; Jjunju Francis
Pope Francis has announced that the first Friday of Lent February 23, would be a day of prayer and fasting for peace over the ongoing conflicts in the world, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.
In his Sunday mass at St. Peter’s square Rome Pope Francis said Catholics and non-Christians should join prayers “in the ways they deem most appropriate for hundreds of thousands suffering in tragic conflicts around the world especially in the mentioned two countries.
Pope Francis had planned to visit DRC Cong and South Sudan last year alongside Anglican Primate Archbishop Joseph Welby for an ecumenical trip aimed at promoting peace but they cancelled it due to safety concerns.
He said God always listens to his children who cry out to him in pain and anguish adding that each person “can concretely say no to violence because victories obtained with violence are false victories, while working for peace does good for all!”
Since the beginning of the war 3 years ago some 4 million South Sudan citizens have left the violence-stricken country in hopes of finding peace, food and work.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, political unrest first erupted in 2015 after a bill was proposed which would potentially delay the presidential and parliamentary elections, Fronted by President Kabila and the situation has degenerated into war with over 3,300 said to have died in the past year alone and 7,000 people fled to neighboring Burundi and another 1,200 into Tanzania.
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