Pope Francis addressed a crowd of young people in the Democratic Republic of Congo today, 2 February, during his three-day visit to the country.
The 86-year-old pontiff is speaking in a stadium in the capital, Kinshasa, for the first papal visit to the Congo in more than 37 years.
Up to half of the Congo’s population of 80 million people are members of the Catholic Church, which has considerable influence in the political and social spheres, helping drive democratic change in recent decades.
Following his trip to the Congo, the pope is expected to visit South Sudan on Friday, 3 February.
The six-day trip was originally planned for July 2022, but had to be postponed after Pope Francis suffered knee problems.
It is the pontiff's fifth visit to Africa since he became head of the Catholic Church in 2013, and his 40th trip overseas.
Click here to sign up for our newsletters.
