President Museveni shakes hands with former FDC presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye at Namugongo during the Pope’s visit to Uganda in 2015. It was the first time the duo had met for many years. FILE PHOTO
Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday, will be remembered not only as the spiritual leader of over a billion Catholics but also as a pope who reached out to the world through his extensive travels.
Over his 12-year papacy, Pope Francis made dozens of international visits, often to conflict zones, poor nations, and places in need of reconciliation. His pastoral journeys were defined by humility, peace advocacy, and a desire to bridge religious and cultural divides.
Among the countries he visited was Uganda, which hosted the pontiff in November 2015 during his first tour of Africa. Uganda was celebrating the 50th anniversary of the canonisation of the Uganda Martyrs, and the Pope led a memorable Mass at the Namugongo Catholic Shrine.
He also visited Munyonyo Shrine, Nalukolongo House of Charity, the Anglican Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo, Rubaga Cathedral, and addressed thousands of youth at Kololo Independence Grounds.
Notably, the Pope’s visit marked a rare moment of unity in Uganda’s often-divisive politics, as long-time political rivals President Museveni and Dr Kizza Besigye met and shook hands in public for the first time in years.
Crisis missions in Africa Pope
Francis’s 2015 Africa tour also took him to Kenya and the war-torn Central African Republic (CAR), the latter considered the most dangerous trip of his papacy. Despite security concerns, he entered a Muslim-majority neighbourhood in Bangui and opened the Holy Door of the Bangui Cathedral, effectively launching the Jubilee Year of Mercy from Africa rather than Rome.
Pope Francis greets internally displaced women and children at Saint Sauveur Church in Bangui during his visit to the Central African Republic on November 29, 2015. During his visit, he urged all warring parties to lay down their weapons and embrace peace and reconciliation.
In 2017, he visited Egypt to promote interfaith dialogue with the Muslim world, followed by a 2019 tour of Morocco where he emphasised religious tolerance and expressed solidarity with migrants. Later in 2019, he travelled to Mozambique, Madagascar, and Mauritius. In Madagascar, over one million people attended a papal Mass at Soamandrakizay stadium in Antananarivo.
In Mauritius, he celebrated Mass at the Mary Queen of Peace Monument, echoing the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1989. In January 2023, Pope Francis made a third trip to Sub-Saharan Africa, visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan.
In Kinshasa, over a million faithful attended his Mass. From there, he flew to South Sudan, where he made headlines by kneeling to kiss the feet of President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar in a gesture urging peace.
Uniting faiths across continents
Beyond Africa, Pope Francis made numerous groundbreaking visits. In January 2015, he visited the Philippines where an estimated seven million people attended his final Mass in Manila—the largest papal gathering in history.
Despite never visiting his homeland Argentina as pope, his Latin American tours were extensive. In July 2013, just months into his papacy, he attended World Youth Day in Brazil, where he addressed 3.5 million people.
In May 2014, he visited Jordan, Israel, and Palestine, praying at the Israeli West Bank barrier and calling for peace in the region.
That August, he travelled to South Korea, denouncing economic systems that marginalise workers during a Mass at Daejeon World Cup Stadium. He visited Albania in September 2014, praising its interfaith harmony despite past persecution. Two months later, he addressed the European Parliament and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, urging dignified treatment for migrants and improved workers’ rights.
Bosnia
In 2015, Pope Francis travelled to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Cuba, and addressed the US Congress during a September visit to North America. In April 2016, he made a humanitarian visit to the Greek island of Lesbos to highlight the plight of refugees. In May 2017, he presided over the canonisation of Francisco and Jacinta Marto at the Fátima shrine in Portugal.
Deceased Pope Francis. PHOTO/REUTERS/FILE
The following year, he joined an ecumenical prayer service in Switzerland with members of the World Council of Churches. In 2019, Pope Francis visited Panama for World Youth Day, the United Arab Emirates—marking the first-ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula—as well as Bulgaria, Thailand, and Japan. In Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he issued powerful calls for nuclear disarmament.
In March 2021, he made another historic trip—to Iraq—becoming the first pope to do so, where he met with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and encouraged peace in a region ravaged by war and religious extremism. Even within Italy, Pope Francis was constantly on the move, visiting places like Lampedusa, Cagliari, Assisi, Pompeii, Naples, and more. He also made pastoral trips to countries such as Turkey, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Cuba, and Mexico.
Pope Francis’s travels reflected his belief in a Church that “goes forth” to the peripheries. Whether among refugees or political leaders, his message remained consistent: mercy, peace, and justice.
Key visits
• Uganda (2015): Led Mass at Namugongo; celebrated 50 years since canonisation of Uganda Martyrs.
Ugandan teacher Bernadette Nabakiibi (C) meets Pope Francis in Kampala in 2015. PHOTO/HERBERT KAMOGA
• CAR (2015): First Pope to enter a war zone during active conflict.
• DRC and South Sudan (2023): Mass in Kinshasa with 1 million faithful; kissed leaders’ feet in Juba, urging peace.
• Philippines (2015): 7 million attended final Mass in Manila—largest papal gathering in history.
• USA (2015): Addressed US Congress; Mass in Havana, Cuba.
