In his first speech in Kinshasa, where he arrived on Tuesday for a long-awaited episcopal visit, Pope Francis immediately set the (very political) tone. Offensive, he strongly denounced the “economic colonialism” which “is unleashed” in Africa and especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As always, François placed himself throughout his address on the side of the weak, abandoned children, forcibly recruited into armed groups or victims of work in the mines, women and girls victims of sexual violence, an entire country in the eye of the cyclone of covetousness. But the reality of the country is more complex. Concretely, the DRC is at a crossroads on all fronts: security, politics, while an election is to be held at the end of the year, economic and social. For the Salesian Father of Don Bosco, Albert Kitungwa Kabuge, originally from the town of Kipushi, located in Haut-Katanga, and currently a student at the Catholic Institute of Paris-ISTR, the message of the Sovereign Pontiff sounds like a call to individual and global awareness. He returns for Le Point Afrique to the scope of Pope Francis’ visit to DR-Congo from January 31 to February 3 in this troubled context.
Le Point Afrique: The visit of Pope Francis comes in a very particular context for your country. What are the expectations of the Congolese and what message can François deliver to them?
Albert Kitungwa Kabuge: This is a visit that was eagerly awaited by all Congolese. It intervenes, in fact, in a context of tensions on several levels, in particular security, economic, and social. Armed conflicts persist, instability is gaining ground, particularly in the East, where the M23 rebels are spreading terror. But violence is also recurrent in the North, in South Kivu, or in Ituri. Faced with so many difficulties, Pope Francis came to support the Congolese people and bring them his compassion. Because Francis is a true missionary, in the sense that he has given himself the mission of shifting the gaze towards the peripheries, that is to say the countries on the margins and the suffering populations. He is also a man of proximity, who wants to take part in the resolution of conflicts. This pastoral visit is, moreover, placed under the theme of “All reconciled in Christ”, which means that the Pope came to encourage all Congolese, without distinction. In the Bible, it is said that when one member of the body suffers, all the others suffer with it [1, Corinthien, NDLR]. It is the same for the Congolese, when a part of the territory suffers, the whole country suffers.
Due to these troubles, the leg of the pontifical trip which was to take him to Goma, in the province of North Kivu, torn by clashes between the rebel group M23 and the Congolese army, had to be canceled. Is it time for disappointment?
It was indeed planned in the initial program, in agreement with Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo and the National Episcopal Conference of Congo, that Pope Francis would go to Goma, in the east of the country, however, with the violence of recent months and also the health of the Pontiff, it was necessary to cancel this step. But it is not a feeling of disappointment that dominates, since delegations from all the provinces of the DRC have made the trip. I also believe that it is now necessary to better take into account the state of health of François, because his mobility is less.
This time, he stops in Kinshasa, the capital, where we find all layers of the population, practically all ethnic groups are present. And Pope Francis is scheduled to meet with representatives of the displaced and victims of violence from the east of the country.
How did you react to his first speech, which was very political after all?
Pope Francis is very clear and he has convictions. He campaigns against corruption and he makes it known. For this, Francis does not hesitate to use strong enough words to designate the evils that destroy our societies. He also turns his gaze to Africa because some say that the future of the Church lies on this continent. Pope Francis wants man to be liberated, to be dignified, he wants to see men standing up, freed from all forms of slavery, from all forms of destruction, I think on this point he is not backing down.
This visit aims to shine the spotlight on the prevailing security situation in the DRC, but the international community has been present since the late 1990s, first with MONUC and then MONUSCO. How can Pope Francis change the game?
Indeed, the international community has already done a lot for the Democratic Republic of Congo with these various peacekeeping missions. The other African countries have also done their part. Now, I believe that Pope Francis wants to raise awareness on the spot, that is to say, as close as possible to the realities on the ground. DR Congo is a great nation in the heart of Africa. It’s a country that has immense potential and can become a great power but can’t quite take off. The visit of Pope Francis will not solve everything with a magic wand, but it will undoubtedly stimulate new ideas and reflections which can, in addition to the interventions of the international community, bring the Congolese people together. to build their future together. It is no coincidence that Cenco has invited everyone, from the President of the Republic, to members of the government, the ministers, the populations, all will be able to talk to each other, to move forward. His arrival should allow all the energies, all the living forces of the Congo to be released.
This moment must also participate in the transformation of mentalities, I am not saying that people do not have a conscience, but the words of François aim to encourage, support and accompany everyone to do the common good so that we can do nation and finally develop this country in all areas whether education, health, social action or the Church.
In addition to the question of the demographic weight and the future of Catholicism, this trip to the DRC is of strategic importance for the Catholic Church in the DRC, shaken up in recent years by the revivalist churches?
The voice of the Congolese Catholic Church still carries. When the pope comes to Kinshasa, all the denominations gather around the Cenco. In periods of high tension, the Catholic Church, without seeking to impose itself, is unifying and mobilizes around it the other religions so that together, their representatives can reflect on possible solutions to end the crisis. The DRC is a secular country, however, nearly 45% of the population of over 105 million people – is Catholic.
Beyond these figures, you should know that in the DRC, the Catholic Church is a major social actor, it is very active in education, it manages public schools and health establishments, it is also found in social works. For example, it takes care of unemployed young people, the Kulunas, those children who find themselves on the street, or those in family breakdown, and all this without distinction of religion and despite the battering of the revivalist Churches.
You have been on mission in many African countries (Togo, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, DRC), how does the Catholic Church deal with sensitive issues of morals, sexual violence, financial scandals or of pedophilia, in the field?
Africa is no exception, it is also grappling with these sensitive issues. However, I believe that it is important to better determine the terms used, not that they are not suitable or that they do not correspond to any reality here. But it is very important to consider the contexts. In Africa, more than taboos, it is the way in which we approach subjects that is decisive. Certain subjects are not exposed in the same way whether one is in North America, in Europe, in Asia or in Latin America. We must take into account the tradition of each continent in its approach to these questions.
The question of a Church directed by a pope of African origin arises more and more. Is this really plausible?
The answer to this question has to be nuanced since on the one hand we are not in a political setting with an election campaign to wage, and secondly what we believe is in letting the mind blow. We tend to forget very quickly that Pope Francis is Argentinian, which is already quite a journey. The most important thing for those who are called is to respond to the call of God and to work according to the Church of today in order to accompany those who need it most.