Pope Francis is scheduled to visit the Indian Ocean islands of Madagascar and Mauritius and to the Southeast African nation of Mozambique in September 2019. All three countries have a strong Christian presence.
Details of the upcoming trip were confirmed by the Vatican’s interim spokesman, Alessandro
This will be Pope Francis’s fourth visit to Africa, after going to Uganda, Kenya and Central African Republic in 2015, Egypt in 2017 and his upcoming March 30-31 trip to Morocco.
The head of the Vatican has sent a message of peace to King Mohammed VI and Morocco ahead of his 2 day visit. He is reportedly the first pope to visit the North African nation in 35 years.
“ As Christians and Muslims, we believe in God the Creator and Merciful One, who has created men and women and lives on the earth so that they may live together as brothers and sisters, respecting each other’s diversity and helping each other in their need,” the Pope said in a two-minute video, reported Africa News. “He has entrusted the earth, our common home to them, to care for it and to preserve it for future generations.”
The pope added he will encourage the Progress of the Christian community and to meet the migrants who represent a call to build a world of greater justice and solidarity. Some 30,000 Roman Catholics will welcome Pope Francis in Morocco, who will mostly be sub-Saharan African students or migrants head for Europe. He will hold a mass in Rabat on Sunday and 10,000 people are expected to attend.
