Pope Francis visited a record 10 African countries throughout his pontificate, often venturing to areas ravaged by war, poverty or natural disaster. Catholics in Africa this week are remembering him as a leader who embodied their ideals during a time in which the church's ranks underwent rapid growth throughout the continent.
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Here's how to cope with in-flight anxietyNintendo Switch 2 preorders see 'overwhelming' demand, frustrations for hopeful buyersBluebells and other spring flowers can be nature's antidote to stressful timesTrump and Zelenskyy among dignitaries converging on Rome for funeral of Pope FrancisEl papa eligió la sencillez, como el calzado que compraba en una zapatería de barrio en Buenos AiresTrump and Zelenskyy among dignitaries converging on Rome for funeral of Pope FrancisThe Afternoon WireDonald Trump's trip to Pope Francis' funeral puts a sharper focus on their clashes over the yearsCam Ward goes No. 1, Travis Hunter 2nd and Shedeur Sanders not picked in 1st round of NFL draftAP Entertainment WireMost Americans expect higher prices as a result of Trump's tariffs, a new AP-NORC poll findsBonobos in Congo form girl groups to fend off male aggression, study saysPhotos: Contestants haul heavy sacks of coal in unusual Yorkshire traditionWorries about flying seem to be taking off. Here's how to cope with in-flight anxietySleep training is no longer just for babies. Some schools are teaching teens how to sleepAP News AlertsVineyards in NY wine country push sustainability as they adapt to climate changeWhooping cough cases are rising again in the USWorries about flying seem to be taking off. Here's how to cope with in-flight anxietyNintendo Switch 2 preorders see 'overwhelming' demand, frustrations for hopeful buyersBluebells and other spring flowers can be nature's antidote to stressful timesTrump and Zelenskyy among dignitaries converging on Rome for funeral of Pope FrancisEl papa eligió la sencillez, como el calzado que compraba en una zapatería de barrio en Buenos AiresA priest holds a sacrament bowl showing a photograph of Pope Francis during a Holy Mass at the John Garang Mausoleum in Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 5, 2023. Pope Francis blesses children during his visit to people living at a refugee camp in Bangui, Central African Republic, Nov. 29, 2015. An armed soldier stands on a balcony at Zimpeto Hospital before Pope Francis’ visit in Maputo, Mozambique, Sept. 6, 2019. Pope Francis waves to the crowd at the Central Mosque in Bangui’s Muslim enclave of PK5, Central African Republic, Nov. 30, 2015. Donkeys pull a cart past workers handing a poster of Pope Francis in preparation for his visit in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Sept. 4, 2019. Pope Francis and Catherine Samba-Panza, interim President of the Central African Republic, walk past the honor guard at the international airport in Bangui, Central African Republic, Nov. 30, 2015. A woman holds a rosary as she stands in the rain during a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis at Zimpeto stadium on the outskirts of Maputo, Mozambique, Sept. 6, 2019. Pope Francis waves to the crowd at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception after attending a meeting in Maputo, Mozambique, Sept. 5, 2019. People listen to Pope Francis’ speak during a prayer for workers at the Mahatzana work yard in Akamasoa, Madagascar, Sept. 8, 2019. Pope Francis walks with the pastoral staff as he celebrates Mass in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Sept. 8, 2019. People wait for the arrival of Pope Francis for a meeting with priests, deacons, consecrated people and seminarians, outside the “Notre Dame du Congo” Cathedral in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Feb. 2, 2023. Pope Francis meets with priests, deacons, consecrated people and seminarians at the “Notre Dame du Congo” Cathedral in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Feb. 2, 2023. Standing by a mural of Pope Francis on a church, traffic police direct vehicles to get off the road as a government vehicle convoy passes through Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 2, 2023. Pope Francis waves from his popemobile before giving a Holy Mass at the John Garang Mausoleum in Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 5, 2023. People wait for Pope Francis to arrive to give a Mass at John Garang Mausoleum in Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 5, 2023. Pope Francis meets a displaced girl during a meeting with internally displaced persons at Freedom Hall in Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 4, 2023. Pope Francis watches people perform traditional dances at Martyrs’ Stadium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Feb. 2, 2023. A necklace featuring the Virgin Mary hangs around the neck of a woman wearing a T-shirt of Pope Francis as she waits for his arrival at the St. Theresa Cathedral in Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 4, 2023. Graffiti artist Alexander Ikawah, paints Pope Francis on a canvas in Nairobi, Kenya Monday, April 21, 2025. A woman prays during the morning mass at the Sanctuaire d’adoration cathedral, following the announcement of Pope Francis’s death in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Monday, April 21, 2025. Parishioner sign a condolence register book in honour of the late Pope Francis at the Holy Cross Cathedral Church in Lagos, Nigeria, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, A Catholic man prays after the Pope Francis Memorial Mass, at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. A priest holds a sacrament bowl showing a photograph of Pope Francis during a Holy Mass at the John Garang Mausoleum in Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 5, 2023. A priest holds a sacrament bowl showing a photograph of Pope Francis during a Holy Mass at the John Garang Mausoleum in Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 5, 2023. Pope Francis blesses children during his visit to people living at a refugee camp in Bangui, Central African Republic, Nov. 29, 2015. Pope Francis blesses children during his visit to people living at a refugee camp in Bangui, Central African Republic, Nov. 29, 2015. An armed soldier stands on a balcony at Zimpeto Hospital before Pope Francis’ visit in Maputo, Mozambique, Sept. 6, 2019. An armed soldier stands on a balcony at Zimpeto Hospital before Pope Francis’ visit in Maputo, Mozambique, Sept. 6, 2019. Pope Francis waves to the crowd at the Central Mosque in Bangui’s Muslim enclave of PK5, Central African Republic, Nov. 30, 2015. Pope Francis waves to the crowd at the Central Mosque in Bangui’s Muslim enclave of PK5, Central African Republic, Nov. 30, 2015. Donkeys pull a cart past workers handing a poster of Pope Francis in preparation for his visit in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Sept. 4, 2019. Donkeys pull a cart past workers handing a poster of Pope Francis in preparation for his visit in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Sept. 4, 2019. Pope Francis and Catherine Samba-Panza, interim President of the Central African Republic, walk past the honor guard at the international airport in Bangui, Central African Republic, Nov. 30, 2015. Pope Francis and Catherine Samba-Panza, interim President of the Central African Republic, walk past the honor guard at the international airport in Bangui, Central African Republic, Nov. 30, 2015. A woman holds a rosary as she stands in the rain during a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis at Zimpeto stadium on the outskirts of Maputo, Mozambique, Sept. 6, 2019. A woman holds a rosary as she stands in the rain during a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis at Zimpeto stadium on the outskirts of Maputo, Mozambique, Sept. 6, 2019. Pope Francis waves to the crowd at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception after attending a meeting in Maputo, Mozambique, Sept. 5, 2019. Pope Francis waves to the crowd at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception after attending a meeting in Maputo, Mozambique, Sept. 5, 2019. People listen to Pope Francis’ speak during a prayer for workers at the Mahatzana work yard in Akamasoa, Madagascar, Sept. 8, 2019. People listen to Pope Francis’ speak during a prayer for workers at the Mahatzana work yard in Akamasoa, Madagascar, Sept. 8, 2019. Pope Francis walks with the pastoral staff as he celebrates Mass in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Sept. 8, 2019. Pope Francis walks with the pastoral staff as he celebrates Mass in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Sept. 8, 2019. People wait for the arrival of Pope Francis for a meeting with priests, deacons, consecrated people and seminarians, outside the “Notre Dame du Congo” Cathedral in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Feb. 2, 2023. People wait for the arrival of Pope Francis for a meeting with priests, deacons, consecrated people and seminarians, outside the “Notre Dame du Congo” Cathedral in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Feb. 2, 2023. Pope Francis meets with priests, deacons, consecrated people and seminarians at the “Notre Dame du Congo” Cathedral in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Feb. 2, 2023. Pope Francis meets with priests, deacons, consecrated people and seminarians at the “Notre Dame du Congo” Cathedral in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Feb. 2, 2023. Standing by a mural of Pope Francis on a church, traffic police direct vehicles to get off the road as a government vehicle convoy passes through Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 2, 2023. Standing by a mural of Pope Francis on a church, traffic police direct vehicles to get off the road as a government vehicle convoy passes through Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 2, 2023. Pope Francis waves from his popemobile before giving a Holy Mass at the John Garang Mausoleum in Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 5, 2023. Pope Francis waves from his popemobile before giving a Holy Mass at the John Garang Mausoleum in Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 5, 2023. People wait for Pope Francis to arrive to give a Mass at John Garang Mausoleum in Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 5, 2023. People wait for Pope Francis to arrive to give a Mass at John Garang Mausoleum in Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 5, 2023. Pope Francis meets a displaced girl during a meeting with internally displaced persons at Freedom Hall in Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 4, 2023. Pope Francis meets a displaced girl during a meeting with internally displaced persons at Freedom Hall in Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 4, 2023. Pope Francis watches people perform traditional dances at Martyrs’ Stadium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Feb. 2, 2023. Pope Francis watches people perform traditional dances at Martyrs’ Stadium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Feb. 2, 2023. A necklace featuring the Virgin Mary hangs around the neck of a woman wearing a T-shirt of Pope Francis as she waits for his arrival at the St. Theresa Cathedral in Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 4, 2023. A necklace featuring the Virgin Mary hangs around the neck of a woman wearing a T-shirt of Pope Francis as she waits for his arrival at the St. Theresa Cathedral in Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 4, 2023. Graffiti artist Alexander Ikawah, paints Pope Francis on a canvas in Nairobi, Kenya Monday, April 21, 2025. Graffiti artist Alexander Ikawah, paints Pope Francis on a canvas in Nairobi, Kenya Monday, April 21, 2025. A woman prays during the morning mass at the Sanctuaire d’adoration cathedral, following the announcement of Pope Francis’s death in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Monday, April 21, 2025. A woman prays during the morning mass at the Sanctuaire d’adoration cathedral, following the announcement of Pope Francis’s death in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Monday, April 21, 2025. Parishioner sign a condolence register book in honour of the late Pope Francis at the Holy Cross Cathedral Church in Lagos, Nigeria, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, Parishioner sign a condolence register book in honour of the late Pope Francis at the Holy Cross Cathedral Church in Lagos, Nigeria, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, A Catholic man prays after the Pope Francis Memorial Mass, at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. A Catholic man prays after the Pope Francis Memorial Mass, at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. BANGUI, Central African Republic — Central African Republic’s capital had been torn apart by inter-religious violence leading up toYet, there was the open-air popemobile driving through a Muslim-majority neighborhood of Bangui, a zone off-limits to Christians, with the pope crossing a line many feared amid a yearslong civil war.people to “say ‘no’ to hatred, vengeance and violence, especially that committed in the name of a religion or God.” The episode is being recalled by Catholics as they weigh the pontiff’s legacy throughout Africa, a continent where the faith is growing rapidly and where, unlike Francis, the priesthood leans deeply conservative.Pope Francis bestowed a special nickname on AP’s Vatican reporter for her often-tough questions Priests and parishioners who spoke to The Associated Press from Morocco to South Africa remembered Francis’ commitment to the marginalized, including victims of violence, poverty or the enduring structures borne from colonialism. “Christians and Muslims who used to stare at each other were reconciled,” Ella Carine Kossingou, a Bangui resident, said of Francis’ visit. “I’m not Catholic, but I won’t forget his presence in our country.”, a graffiti artist dabbed finishing touches onto a portrait of Pope Francis in Kenya. In Nigeria, parishioners lined up to sign a condolence book beneath his portrait. And in South Sudan, Father James Rombe knelt to pray along with students at the St. Lawrence Minor Seminary. “He taught our leaders a big lesson on humility, and what it means to be a servant — a servant leader,” Rombe said, remembering when Francis“That was the powerful message that we all received from him: Hope. To be hopeful. And these two words always go together: hope and peace,” Rombe added.The late pope “was very unambiguous in telling world powers to stop exploiting Africans,” said Father Michael Nsikak Umoh, spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria. African ministers who clashed with Francis’ stances on same-sex couples remembered him this week as someone who shared a commitment to justice, rather than someone with whom they disagreed. A priest in Cameroon told Catholic media that Francis was a “post-colonial pope.” In Mozambique, another recalled his ministry in the aftermath of natural disasters. “I’m not sure that he would want to be painted liberal or conservative. What he wanted to do was to walk a line between church teaching and the experience of people,” said Father Hugh Patrick O’Connor of the South African Council of Churches.African bishops’ conferences, largely among the church’s most conservative, pushed back against Francis’ positions. After he issued an edict, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, Archbishop of Kinshasa, called for more recognition of perspectives from Africa, which he described as “the future of the Church.” The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa, led by Cardinal Ambongo, and Zimbabwe’s Catholic bishops were among the conferences that disavowed Francis’ stance on same-sex couples. Despite those differences, Father Tryvis Moyo, the conference’s secretary-general, remembered him as a “faithful shepherd who did not just become leader of the church, but became the conscience of the world.” Moyo highlighted Francis’ commitment to doctrine and gospel while holding steadfast to his conference’s stance against blessing same-sex couples.experienced rapid growth throughout Africa More than 281 million Catholics live across Africa’s 54 countries, far more than the 185 million when Francis became pope in 2013, according to the Vatican’s latest figures. Elizabeth Foster, a Tufts University historian and author of “African Catholic,” said that, in addition to a reformer, Francis was also a byproduct of debates that took shape during his youth, when the church was navigating decolonization and Europe’s withdrawal from Africa. “In the space of two generations, we’ve gone from a predominantly European church that was exported to Africa to now, where the flow of people has entirely reversed and Africans are coming to Europe to run parishes and the missionary societies that were founded to evangelize Africa,” she said.Dom João Carlos Nunes, Archbishop of Maputo, remembered Francis’ ministry in light of Mozambique’s floods and cyclones, including when he“He was a man of the Church and also a man of the poor, of those who have no voice or place, those who are left aside. He taught us to welcome, to have a huge heart, to love without measure,” Nunes said. Outside leadership, many remembered him as someone who spoke to their struggles and embodied a faith attentive to the reality they lived. “He was real, he was like Jesus. He came down to our level. He understood us,” said long-time congregant Lee-Anne Bertrand at the end of a memorial this week at Cathedral of Christ the King in Johannesburg.Metz reported from Rabat, Morocco. AP writers Chinedu Asadu, Michelle Gumede, Mogomotsi Magome, Charles Mangwiro, Florence Miettaux and Farai Mutsaka contributed from throughout Africa.Judge halts parts of Trump’s overhaul of US elections, including proof-of-citizenship requirementBlack churches back embattled Smithsonian African American history museum after Trump’s order
Africa Ella Carine Kossingou Hugh Patrick Oconnor Joo Carlos Nunes South Sudan Bangui Morocco Roman Catholicism General News Christianity Michael Nsikak Umoh Poverty Lee Anne Bertrand Elizabeth Foster Religion James Rombe World News World News
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