‘Peace’ at the heart of preparations for papal visit to Africa

The president of the Cameroon Bishops’ Conference Archbishop Andrew Nkea of Bamenda said the Pope will bring a message of peace and reconciliation in a divided country.

Pope Leo XVI will begin his four-nation African apostolic journey on 13 April in Algeria, the homeland of St Augustine.

The phrase As-salamu alaykum (“Peace Be Upon You”) has been chosen as the central theme of the three-day visit, which will be the first time a pope has travelled to Algeria since its independence in 1962.

Bishop Michel Guillaud of Constantine-Hippone, which includes the site of Augustine’s ancient see, said Leo’s presence will demonstrate that Christianity “is an asset and not a danger” to Algeria.

“He is not coming primarily on a personal pilgrimage in the footsteps of St Augustine, but to meet the Algerian people and to support his Church, drawing on the strong bond between them through the figure of Augustine,” Bishop Guillaud told OSV News.

In Cameroon, where the Pope will travel from Algeria, preparations for the visit reached new intensity ahead of Easter, with the nation’s bishops meeting on 25 March to review security protocols, liturgical arrangements and communication strategies intended to reach every corner of the nation’s 26 dioceses.

The 15-18 April visit has been described as “a pilgrimage of peace” that will leave a “lasting legacy of faith, unity and peace”.

The president of the Cameroon Bishops’ Conference Archbishop Andrew Nkea of Bamenda said the Pope will bring a message of peace and reconciliation in a divided country. Speaking at a briefing on the papal visit, the archbishop suggested that a lot of work has been done in the background to ensure that the Pope’s visit also restores hope for peace in the country.

Meanwhile, a hymn has been composed for the Pope’s visit, and a logo adopted. In addition, the Catholic Archdiocese of Yaoundé is seeking to mobilise up to 50,000 young people for the closing Mass.

In Angola, the general coordinator of the papal visit said he is satisfied with the work on the ground to prepare for Pope Leo’s arrival on 18 April.

Bishop Belmiro Cuica Chissengueti of Cabinda the said “the grounds of the Mass venue are completed, and the access road is almost ready, facilitating the movement of the faithful and authorities”.

Archbishop Filomeno do Nascimento Vieira Dias of Luanda noted that the visit “is not limited to a liturgical agenda – it is a unique opportunity to reinforce faith, unity and communion among Angolans”.

In Equatorial Guinea, plans are underway to broadcast the papal visit on 21-23 April live and to show-case the country’s immense cultural diversity. But there is a downside: reports indicate that civil servants’ salaries are being slashed to finance the event.

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