(ANS - Vatican City) – At the Angelus last Sunday 1 November, Pope Francis announced that the first Holy Door he will open for the special Jubilee of Mercy will be that of the cathedral of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic.

The Pope will anticipate the beginning of the Holy Year, scheduled for 8 December, during his first trip to Africa, scheduled for November 25 to 30, when he will also visit Kenya and Uganda.

At Sunday’s Angelus he spoke of "the apostolic journey I hope to make to that Country".  Some commentators suggest that the security situation in the country still leaves doubts over the actual visit. The Pope also explained that his visit is intended to "manifest the prayerful closeness of the entire Church to this nation that has been so afflicted and tormented and to urge all Central Africans to be more and more witnesses of mercy and reconciliation."

"The painful episodes in recent days have made the delicate situation in the Central African Republic even more tense, and have given rise to great concern in my mind," the Holy Father said earlier as he launched an appeal to the parties involved "to put an end to this cycle of violence ".

The Salesians have been present in the Central African Republic since 1995 with a parish, two oratories, two youth centres, a professional centre, a secondary school, a primary school and a medical dispensary, all of them located in the capital. Since 2013 the centres and the Salesians themselves have been assisting refugees.

Published 03/11/2015