The Pope in Africa

 

Campi di arachidi
Champs d'arachides
Campos de cacahuetes

The Pope in Africa

19 April 2026

 

We are following Pope Leo XIV’s trip to Africa with great interest. After Algeria, he visited Cameroon, our neighbour (in many ways), and is now in Angola, from where he will travel to Equatorial Guinea, the final stop on his tour.

It is interesting that Pope Leo chose Africa for his first major trip. His previous trips (to Turkey and Lebanon) had already been arranged by Pope Francis.

Africa is a continent of hope, both for humanity and for the Church.

The journey, and above all the speeches, are deeply meaningful and rich, and resonate powerfully here in the Central African Republic too. In Bamenda, an area torn apart by tensions between Anglophones and Francophones, whilst speaking of the challenges facing the country – poverty, corruption, violence, migration – he forcefully reminded everyone that “God is new” and that he makes believers “capable of confronting evil and building good”. And this does not apply only to Cameroon!

After the mission to Zemio, I had a few (slightly) quieter days.

On Sunday 12 April, I celebrated Mass in the chapel of Our Lady of Hope, in the Maliko district here in Bangassou. Inaugurated last year on 25 March, it is becoming a small, lively community.

On Monday I am in Lanome, where we have resumed work on the construction of the church.

On Tuesday, Bishop Aguirre returns to Bangassou after spending almost three weeks in Obo and Mboki.

We’re getting back to work together these days, partly because there are so many files to go through and so many decisions to make.

On Saturday morning I’m off to Bandoufou, 25 km away. There I’ll celebrate Mass, accompanied by a small choir and supported by a little boy playing a makeshift drum set!

After Mass, I meet with the local people, because we are going to build a school here for the more than 200 children. Until now, lessons have been held under some thatched shelters, and it is time to offer something better for the future of the village.

I bambini del centro orfani con i ceci arrivati dalla Spagna
Los niños del orfanato con los garbanzos que llegaron de España.

Bandoufou

Qui sorgera la nuova scuola di Bandoufou
Ici on batira la nouvelle école de Bandoufou
Aquí se construirá la nueva escuela de Bandoufou.

Lanome

Maliko

 

Way of the Cross and Resurrection

 

Messa crismale

Way of the Cross and Resurrection

April 8, 2026

Tuesday, March 31 is the day the diocese dedicates to priests. In the morning there is a meeting with the Presbyteral Council: about a dozen priests (half chosen by their fellow priests and half appointed by the Bishop) gather to discuss and advise the Bishop on the most important aspects of the life of the diocese.

In the afternoon we are in the parish of Tokoyo, here in Bangassou. I celebrate Mass together with many of the priests of the diocese. During this liturgy the priests renew the promises made on the day of their Ordination, and afterwards the Bishop blesses the oils (of the catechumens, of the sick, and the Chrism) that will be used for the sacraments.

Thursday, April 2 is Holy Thursday, the day of the Last Supper, during which Jesus instituted the Eucharist and the Priesthood, and gave the example of how to love and how to lead: by washing feet!

In the afternoon I celebrate in the Cathedral, and during Mass, like Jesus, I wash the feet of twelve people.

On Friday morning we leave for the East. The rains have now begun, and the roads, already in poor condition, are even worse: mud, puddles, and fallen trees. But the rains also allow us to see many animals: monkeys, antelopes, storks, herons…

In the afternoon I am in Rafai, and here I celebrate the Good Friday liturgy, with the reading of the Passion of Jesus and the beautiful Universal Prayer.

On Saturday morning we leave Rafai around 6 a.m., heading toward Zemio, about 150 km away. But around 9:15, while crossing a water-filled hole, the car tilts and ends up resting on its right side! A bit of fear, but nothing is broken. We get out, and little by little, using the electric winch, we manage to put it back on its four wheels, and then pull it out of this puddle, more than a meter deep.

The problem (besides the bees and thousands of insects) is that the engine refuses to start again: water has entered the engine!

At 6 p.m. some young men from a nearby village arrive and invite us to spend the night there. We go on foot: it is just over 7 km, but we reach it in about an hour.

Here the village chief makes two huts available to us. They give me one, very, very simple. The bed, made of bamboo, is about one and a half meters long and very hard… I take a quick shower under the stars, and then manage to fall asleep. At 8:40 p.m. a vehicle arrives! It is the parish priest of Zemio who has come to look for us (news in Africa travels extremely fast, even without network or telephone…).

They try to start our car, but give up, and we leave with them for Zemio, where we arrive at 3 a.m., after four hours of travel (for less than 70 km!).

After a few hours of rest, at 8:30 we begin the celebration of the Easter Mass. Despite the fatigue, it is a very beautiful moment. The situation here continues to improve, and I tell them that Easter reminds us that there is no tomb, no grave, no darkness where Grace cannot shine and bring Life!

After Mass I meet young people and adults, and we take stock: practically all the people who had taken refuge at the Mission have returned home, and the schools are at least partially open with an acceptable number of students (even though we are still far from normal).

In the afternoon the children organize some games, and I walk around the town, also to meet the Muslim community and let them know that I am here.

Meanwhile a mechanic, who has arrived from Bangassou, manages to repair the car and bring it to Zemio!

On Monday morning we leave for Tamboura, a village 25 km away, where I meet the population and celebrate Mass. The villages along the road are empty (and many houses burned), and in Tamboura people are slowly beginning to return…

On Tuesday morning there is Mass in the parish, and then we leave for Tabane, 20 km away. Here people arrive timidly (during the day they heard that a convoy of Russian mercenaries would pass), and they are afraid.

Around 10:30 I leave, heading toward Rafai. Deep in the forest we encounter the convoy of Russian mercenaries, who ask for our documents, check bags and luggage, and after receiving confirmation from Bangui, allow us to continue, apologizing for having made us wait!

At 5:30 p.m. we finally arrive in Rafai, without accidents or adventures.

And today, Wednesday, April 8, I returned to Bangassou.

Many kilometers, a bit of fatigue, and also a lot of Resurrection!

Zemio

 

Tamboura

Tabane

Airone
Héron
Garza