Pope Francis greeted members of the Congolese community in Rome, borrowing words from their native languages Sunday to wish them peace and joy during an especially vibrant ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica.
Francis, 85, was supposed to make a July 2-7 pilgrimage to Congo and South Sudan. But the trip was called off last month due to persistent knee pain that has caused the pope to use a wheelchair or a cane in recent weeks.
His itinerary for the since-postponed trip would have had him in Congo on Sunday, celebrating Mass at the airport in the capital, Kinshasa.
Instead, some 2,000 Congolese or descendants of people from Congo joined the pope in Mass at the Vatican. They clapped when Francis began his homily by speaking a few words in Congo’s languages.
Prayers by the faithful were recited in Swahili, Lingala, Tshiluba and Kikongo, the country’s four official languages.
“A Christian
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