On Tuesday, Pope Francis is due to arrive in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, home to Africa’s largest Roman Catholic community, for a three-day visit.
It has been more than 37 years since the previous Pope, John Paul II, visited the country, which was then known as Zaire.
The country’s authorities have proclaimed Wednesday a public holiday in Kinshasa, the capital, to allow Catholics to attend a liturgy led by Pope Francis at Ndolo Airport.
Pope Francis has requested prayers for his upcoming journey.
The Pope will remain in Kinshasa until Friday before traveling to Juba, South Sudan’s capital, where he will be joined by his Anglican counterpart, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland.
However, the Catholic leader’s visit to Kinshasa sparked some controversy.
Some city market employees have been told to dismantle their stalls to keep the streets clean before the pope arrives. Some people are upset as a result of this.
