Pope Francis returned from his
apostolic mission to Africa on Monday evening, after launching
an appeal for Muslims and Christians to unite against violence
in the name of God.
"Let us remain united to put an end to every action that
disfigures the face of God (...) and is aimed at defending
vested interests (...) to the detriment of the common good," the
pope said at Koundoukou mosque in the capital of the Central
African Republic (CAR) on Monday, the last day of his trip to
Africa.
CAR has torn apart by violence between armed Muslim and
Christian factions since the end of 2012, with humanitarian
organizations documenting civilian massacres, rape and torture
committed by both sides.
"Together, let us say no to hatred, to revenge and to
violence, particularly that violence which is perpetrated in the
name of a religion or of God himself," he said.
On Sunday, he opened the Holy Door in the cathedral of the
country's capital Bangui in an early start to the Jubilee Holy
Year of Mercy in Africa.
"Bangui becomes the spiritual capital of the world," Pope
Francis said.
His visit to war-torn CAR was considered high-risk and
accompanied by extra security measures in addition to his usual
Vatican security entourage, including UN peacekeepers with
armoured cars and heavy weapons, and even CAR soldiers armed
with rocket launchers.
The Jubilee Year will officially commence in Vatican City
on December 8, when the pontiff will open the Holy Door at St.
Peter's Cathedral.
This was the pope's first trip to the African continent, a
historic visit which lasted six days and began in Kenya. There,
Pope Francis visited the UN headquarters in Nairobi, and after
touring a slum on the city's outskirts, he railed against
corruption during a meeting with young people at the capital's
stadium in Kasarani.
"Don't accept this sugar called corruption," he told the
young people gathered there. "Corruption takes away joy. Corrupt
people do not live in peace. Corruption is not a path of life.
It's a path of death".
The Argentine pontiff also spent two days in Uganda, where,
following in the footsteps of Pope Paul VI, he visited shrines
in memory of martyred Christians at Munyonyo and Namugongo.
Pope Francis's plane left Bangui around 12:30 p.m. on
Monday and landed at Rome's Ciampino airport at 6:30 p.m. local
time.
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