Pope Francis waves to Christians during his visit to Uganda in 2015. FILE PHOTO
The story of the Pope’s Africa visit in 2015 broke in the most spontaneous way and place, taking his aides by surprise. Uganda originally had invited the Holy Father in 2014 for the 50th anniversary of its martyrs, but the Vatican could not accommodate the request.
Kampala revived the request. The pontiff, before formally replying to Uganda’s second request used a January 19 press conference aboard his plane to announce the “hypothetical” possibility of the trip.
“The plan is to go to the Central African Republic and Uganda, these two, this year. I think that this will be towards the end of the year, because of the weather, no?” He said on a return flight to Rome from Manila, the Philippines. Pope Francis was responding to Agence France Presse journalist, Jean Louis de la Vessiere, who asked: “Holy Father, you have now gone twice to Asia.
The Catholics of Africa have yet to receive a visit from you. You know that from South Africa to Nigeria to Uganda many faithful who suffer from poverty, war, and Islamic fundamentalism, hope you will visit this year. So I would like to ask you, when and where are you thinking of going?” “I will respond hypothetically,” the pontiff said, before picking out Uganda and Central African Republic.
“They [papal aides] have to calculate when there won’t be rain, when there won’t be bad weather… But in these countries, there is no problem. These two are hypothetical, but it will be this year.”
Kampala received the news with both excitement and anxiety because the world had heard that Uganda was on the overseas itinerary, but the preparations had to be cautious until September 10 2015 when the trip was confirmed.
“Accepting the invitation issued by the respective heads of state and the bishops, His Holiness Francis will make an Apostolic trip to Kenya from November 25 to 27, Uganda from November 27 to 29, and the Central African Republic from November 29 to 30,” the Holy See said, triggering a rush including to rebuild the Uganda Martyrs shrines.
This was not the first time a leader of the Roman Catholic Church visited Uganda. Pope John Paul II visited Uganda from February 5-10, 1993, and Pope Paul VI visited Uganda from July 31 to August 2, 1969. Pope Francis also visited Uganda in 2015 as part of a larger tour of Kenya and the Central African Republic.
Pope Francis interacts with former Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, the Rt Rev Stanley Ntagali, during his official visit to Uganda in 2015. PHOTO/FILE
PAPAL VISITS
Pope John Paul II visited Uganda from February 5-10, 1993, and Pope Paul VI visited Uganda from July 31 to August 2, 1969. Pope Francis also visited Uganda in 2015 as part of a larger tour of Kenya and the Central African Republic.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican said on April 21. He was 88, and had recently suffered a serious bout of double pneumonia.
Replying to the second request.
The plan is to go to the Central African Republic and Uganda, these two, this year. I think that this will be towards the end of the year, because of the weather, no?”– Pope Francis.
