Pope Expected to Visit 3 African Capitals

Preparations are potentially underway for Pope Francis' visit to Africa this November.

In an interview with CANAA on Tuesday, published by Vatican Radio, the Apostolic Nuncio in Kenya and South Sudan, Archbishop Charles Daniel Balvo, said that the proposed apostolic visit to Africa, the first by the Latin American Pope to the continent, is likely to involve three capitals beginning with Kenya's Nairobi, then Uganda’s Kampala and lastly Central African Republic' s Bangui.

An official statement, Archbishop Balvo said, will be released in September and the full formal announcement including details of the trip published sometime in October.

The Holy Father's proposed pastoral visit, reports claim, is being scheduled for the last week of November.

The Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), Bishop Philip Anyolo of Homabay, officially announced that Pope Francis will visit Kenya in a letter to the Christian faithful issued on behalf of the Bishops. Bishop Anyolo said, “The Holy Father has accepted our invitation and will visit Kenya in November 2015,” a diocesan spokesperson told Vatican Radio.

Since Francis' visit is a state and pastoral visit, confirmed Bishop Anyolo of Homabay, the Church will be collaborating with Kenya's government on logistics.

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On the NET:

CANAA Interview Published by Vatican Radio: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/08/28/official_statement_on_pope_francis%E2%80%99_visit_to_africa_/1167954

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