Pope in Africa: Francis launches year of mercy in peace mission to Central African Republic

Pope Francis became the first pontiff in living memory to enter an active war-zone today where he made an impassioned appeal for peace and launched the year of mercy.

Before any holy door in a cathedral in Rome was opened the Pope opened one at Bangui Cathedral, a powerful symbol of his desire for the jubilee year to lead to concrete steps to reconciliation. 

“I come as a pilgrim of peace and an apostle of hope,” Francis told the interim president of the Central African Republic (CAR), Catherine Samba-Panza. In her own address she asked for forgiveness on behalf of the country and said the Pope's visit was the first step in building stability in the country 

The CAR is a country in a state of internal conflict due to constant violence between Christian and Muslim militias - there are 11,000 United Nations Peacekeeping forces and 900 French troops holding the country together. Such is the scale of instability that a grenade can cost as little as 33 pence, cheaper than a bottle of Coca-Cola.  

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The conflict stems from the overthrow of the President Francois Bozize in 2012 by Seleka Muslim forces in the north east of the country. Anti-Balaka Christian militias then re-took power but exacted revenge on the Muslim population in Bangui which has been largely driven out of the country’s capital.  

During his homily at Mass at Bangui Cathedral the Pope called on the country to lay down their weapons which he described as "instruments of death" and also to "love one's enemies." After Mass he heard confessions and then delivered a powerful talk outside the cathedral to young people where he urged them to resist hate and violence and to build peace.

Wherever he went the Pope was greeted by enthusiastic and cheering crowds with the whole country clearly inspired by the trip. 

Bangui is home to large number of refugee camps - one of which Francis visited this morning during  his visit - with hundreds of thousands displaced people.

During his speech at the presidential palace the Pope said he was coming to the country as it is about to embark on a “new chapter of its history” and as it “progressively moves, in spite of difficulties, towards the normalisation of its social and political life”

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Elections are scheduled to take place on 27 December and on the eve of the Pope’s arrival the Community of Sant’Egidio, a Catholic peace and reconciliation movement, hosted a landmark meeting of all the presidential candidates.  

Divisions between the warring Christian and Muslim factions appear to be largely about access to the country’s rich natural resources including oil, uranium and diamonds.

While there are divisions between religions, Muslims and Christians have co-existed peacefully together. The majority Christian country, which is a former French colony and gained independence in 1960, is made up of 37 per cent Catholics and 15 per cent Muslims. 

The Archbishop of Bangui, Dieudonné Nzapalainga, works closely with fellow Evangelical Christian and Muslim leaders with whom he met with the Pope in Rome last year. During his visit today the Pope went to an evangelical theology faculty where he shared a platform with Muslim leader Imam Kobine Layama.

Tomorrow morning he is due to visit a mosque in central Bangui, say Mass at a large football stadium and then return to Rome.