Pope Francis will Travel to Africa as Vatican Announces the Dates and Schedule for the Trip in 2023


 The Vatican announced that Pope Francis will travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan for an ecumenical peace pilgrimage from the 31st of January to the 5th of February 2023. This trip  was postponed from the summer in 2022, due to health reasons.

Logo and motto of Pope's journey to Democratic Rep. of Congo was also released in 2022 - SEE https://www.catholicnewsworld.com/2022/03/vatican-reveals-logos-and-mottos-for.html
Pope Francis will travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to South Sudan from 31 January to 5 February 2023. 
The Apostolic Journey was announced in a statement from the Director of the Holy See Press Office: "Accepting the invitation of their respective Heads of State and Bishops, His Holiness Pope Francis will make the announced Apostolic Journey to the Democratic Republic of Congo from 31 January to 3 February 2023, visiting the city of Kinshasa, and, together with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Ecumenical Pilgrimage of Peace to Juba, South Sudan, from 3 to 5 February next."
 
The Pope's Apostolic Journey will include a visit with victims from the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo; and in South Sudan, a meeting with internally displaced persons, and an Ecumenical Prayer service. 
The Holy See Press Office released the following schedule for the Apostolic Journey to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan (Ecumenical Peace Pilgrimage to South Sudan):
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tuesday, 31 January 2023
ROME - KINSHASA
07:55 Departure by airplane from Rome/Fiumicino International Airport to Kinshasa     
15:00 Arrival at Kinshasa “Ndjili” International Airport      
15:00 OFFICIAL WELCOME  
16:30 WELCOME CEREMONY at the “Palais de la Nation” 
16:45 COURTESY VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC in the “Salle PrĂ©sidentielle” of the “Palais de la Nation”  
17:30 MEETING WITH AUTHORITIES, CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS in the garden of the “Palais de la Nation” 
 
Wednesday, 1 February 2023
KINSHASA
09:30 HOLY MASS at “Ndolo” Airport
16:30 MEETING WITH VICTIMS FROM THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY at the Apostolic Nunciature  
18:30 MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM SOME CHARITIES at the Apostolic Nunciature 
 
Thursday, 2 February 2023
KINSHASA
09:30 MEETING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AND CATECHISTS in Martyrs’ Stadium
16:30 PRAYER MEETING WITH PRIESTS, DEACONS, CONSECRATED PERSONS AND SEMINARIANS in the Cathedral “Notre Dame du Congo”
18:30 PRIVATE MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS at the Apostolic Nunciature 
 
Friday, 3 February 2023
KINSHASA - JUBA
08:30 MEETING WITH BISHOPS at CENCO
10:10 FAREWELL CEREMONY at Kinshasa “Ndjili” International Airport    
10:40 Departure by airplane from Kinshasa “Ndjili” International Airport to Juba
South Sudan
The Holy Father is making the Journey to South Sudan together with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland      
15:00 Arrival at Juba International Airport
15:00 WELCOME CEREMONY          
15:45 COURTESY VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC at the Presidential Palace  
16:15 MEETING WITH THE VICE-PRESIDENTS OF THE REPUBLIC    
17:00 MEETING WITH AUTHORITIES, CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS in the garden of the Presidential Palace
 
Saturday, 4 February 2023
JUBA
09:00 MEETING WITH BISHOPS, PRIESTS, DEACONS, CONSECRATED PERSONS AND SEMINARIANS in the Cathedral of Saint Therese
11:00 PRIVATE MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS at the Apostolic Nunciature         
16:30 MEETING WITH INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS in the “Freedom Hall”
18:00 ECUMENICAL PRAYER at “John Garang” Mausoleum
 
Sunday, 5 February 2023
JUBA - ROME
08:45 HOLY MASS  at “John Garang” Mausoleum
11:00 FAREWELL CEREMONY at Juba International Airport           
11:30 Departure by airplane from Juba International Airport to Rome     
17:30 Arrival at Rome Fiumicino International Airport       
Edited from Vatican News

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