SW News: The Director of the Holy See Press Office Matteo Bruni has said that there is no grave security threat to the pope during his upcoming visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. He confirmed that all security precautions had been taken by local authorities to ensure everyone's safety.

The Pope's trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, which he had to postpone last July owing to health concerns, was described in detail by Bruni at a pre-apostolic journey press briefing on Tuesday morning. Both African countries are busy making preparations to welcome Pope Francis.

Bruni noted that the Holy Father will visit the DRC from January 31 to February 3 and then spend two days in South Sudan with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland on an ecumenical pilgrimage for peace before returning to the Vatican. Despite several challenges, such as civil unrest, insecurity, poverty, and natural calamities like flooding and drought, Pope Francis is reported to have voiced confidence regarding the African continent and its people.

This journey, Bruni added, will be Pope Francis’ 40th apostolic visit abroad. At its conclusion, he will have visited 60 countries. Pope Francis travels to Congo in the same way that Pope St. John Paul II did in 1980 and 1985. Bruni said that back then, the DRC was known as Zaire and it was a radically different country. He added that Pope St. Paul VI's visit to Uganda in 1969 was the last papal visit to the African continent before the arrival of the Polish Pope.

Thus, he continued, this is the 20th papal visit to Africa, the fourth for Pope Francis, who previously made trips to Morocco in March 2019, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Mauritius in the same year, as well as Kenya, Uganda, and the Central African Republic in 2015.

Pope Francis has long wanted to visit South Sudan, which has a mostly Christian population, but travel arrangements were delayed due to health reasons and the unrest there.

Bruni also recalled the spiritual retreat he had organized for South Sudanese politicians and church officials in April 2019 at the Vatican, when Pope Francis bowed at their feet and urged them to give peace a chance.