Pope Francis concluded his Africa tour on November 30, following a mass held in Bangui, the capital city of the Central African Republic. Earlier that day, he visited a mosque in PK5, an area reported to be one of the most dangerous in the city, based on its role in the Christian-Muslim conflict. While there the Pope emphasised his dedication to sharing the doctrine of unity and peace. Before CAR Pope Francis also visited Kenya and Uganda.
Despite threats of violence in the country, he arrived CAR on November 29, as a “pilgrim of peace”, and advised that reconciliation, peacekeeping, healthcare, and a solid administration be promoted under the umbrellas of unity, dignity, and labour.
The central theme of the Pope’s visit to the three African countries addressed religious divisions and conflicts, while also touching on other pertinent social, economic, and environmental matters. He met with both government and religious authorities in the countries, as well as with ordinary citizens from various classes in society.
At his first destination in Kenya, the Pope visited the slums in Nairobi, and also addressed the youth on corruption, tribalism, and other ‘social dangers’. In Uganda, he visited the House of Charity in Kampala, urging them not to forget the poor, and prior to that, paid his respects to the Christian martyrs at a holy shrine in Namugongo, who lost their lives because they would not renounce their faith, in opposition to King Buganda Mwanga’s will in the 19th century.
But while the Pope’s detailed attention to ethnic minorities in society during his trip was met with a lot of praise, not everyone felt included.
The Pope’s African tour commenced a day before the LGBTI communities in Uganda, as well their supporters, were presented with a ban on homosexuality with an accompanying jail sentence of four to eight years for the ‘crime’. Kenya is home to refugees fleeing the harsh laws and social stigma that follows being gay in Uganda, although the country itself barely tolerates homosexuality.
2015 has been a tough year for LGBTI individuals in Kenya and Uganda, amongst other African countries, both socially and legally, in terms of gay rights, even though their strife has a much longer timeline. Several attacks have been carried out on homosexuals with what can be disturbingly interpreted as the support of both the government and religious leaders, seeing as most of the violent acts have been left unaddressed.
Before the arrival of the Pope, the LGBTI community reportedly requested that he advocate for their sexual orientation to be met with reasonable tolerance, from both the government and society, which was revealed ina statement by a renowned Kenyan activist, David Kuria. Kuria said that a ‘blessing’ from the Pope would make their lives easier in a continent that traditionally and historically has no place for homosexuality. However, following the departure of His Holiness, the LGBTI community has once again been left with silence.
