Pope Francis has rescheduled his delayed trip to Congo and South Sudan for Jan. 31-Feb. 5, cutting out a stop in Congo’s conflict-ravaged east but fulfilling a years-long wish to accompany other Christian leaders to the young nation of South Sudan.
The Vatican on Thursday published the itinerary of the trip, which had originally been scheduled for last July but was postponed because Francis was undergoing therapy for his strained knee ligaments. The 85-year-old Francis is still using a wheelchair, but has made other foreign trips in the meantime, suggesting that he can go through with even challenging itineraries.
The new itinerary roughly matches the original, with one significant exception: Initially the pope had planned to celebrate Mass in the eastern Congolese city of Goma en route to South Sudan. Now, Francis will meet in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, with a delegation of faithful and “victims” from Goma.
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