On Tuesday, Pope Francis is expected to arrive in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, home to Africa’s largest Roman Catholic community, for a three-day visit.
It has been more than 37 years since the previous Pope, John Paul II, visited the country, which was then known as Zaire.
The country’s authorities have declared Wednesday a public holiday in Kinshasa, the capital, to allow Catholics to attend a mass led by Pope Francis at Ndolo Airport.
Pope Francis has requested prayers for his upcoming journey.
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The pontiff will stay in Kinshasa until Friday before travelling to South Sudan’s capital, Juba, where he will be joined by his Anglican counterpart, the Archbishop of Canterbury and by the Church of Scotland Moderator.
However, there has been some controversy surrounding the Catholic leader’s visit to Kinshasa.
Some market workers in the city have been told to dismantle their stalls to make roads tidy before the pope’s arrival. This has left some people feeling aggrieved.
