The pope began September with a six-day trip to Africa, where he visited three countries.
In Mozambique, a country recovering from two decades of war and roughly 1,000,000 deaths, he had an interreligious encounter with the young and encouraged them to be leaders in this new era of peace.
“Reconciliation, reconciliation, reconciliation.”
In Maputo, he visited a Catholic hospital that attends to AIDS patients in the community of Sant'Edigio. This disease affects 23 percent of people in this city.
POPE FRANCIS
“This center shows us that there are always people ready to stop and show compassion, who do not yield to the temptation to say, 'There is nothing to do.'”
As a gift, they gave the pope a wooden cross, made from pieces recovered from cyclone Idai.
The pope used it during his final Mass before saying goodbye to the country.
Pope Francis also visited the island of Madagascar, one of the poorest countries in the world.
The most impactful moment in the country was his visit to Akamasoa, the City of Friendship. It was constructed by a priest on top of a garbage dump, to give dignity to those who survive by looking through trash.
His name is Pedro Opeka, and he has lifted more than 25,000 out of poverty and demonstrated that it's possible to change extreme situations.
Pope Francis was speechless.
The priest accompanied the pope on the popemobile through the streets of Akamasoa, to a huge quarry where many of the city's inhabitants work.
The final leg of the trip was to the island of Mauritius, the only African country with a Hindu majority.
Here, he celebrated Mass with more than 80,000 people and asked Catholics not to be discouraged by difficulties.
POPE FRANCIS
“Living the Gospel message means we cannot keep hoping that everything around us will be perfect. All too often the thirst for power and worldly interests work against us.”
In Rome, the leader of the Orthodox Church, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople visited the pope.
“Good morning, your Holiness.”
On the last Sunday of the month, Pope Francis celebrated a Mass for migrants and refugees to raise awareness of their situation.
POPE FRANCIS
“We cannot remain insensitive, our hearts cold, before the misery of so many innocent people. We must not fail to weep. We must not fail to respond.”
After the ceremony, Pope Francis inaugurated a statue in the square dedicated to them.
This statue is made of 140 figures, each one representing a real person of different eras and cultures: there is a Jew espcaping Nazis, a Mexican who wants to cross the border.
The statue will be in the square for a few months, then travel to different countries around the world. It will be a migrant statue.
Javier Martínez-Brocal
Translated: Rachel Dobrzynski
