Pope Francis will be widely mourned in Africa, home to a large and growing number of Catholic faithful.
He was known for his peace-making efforts on the continent, making a risky trip to war-torn Central African Republicin 2015, where he met with both Muslims and Christians involved in the conflict.
In 2019, he made headlines when he kissed the feet of South Sudan's rival leaders after inviting them to a retreat at the Vatican, appealing to them to form a unity government — which they later did.
He visited South Sudan a few years later in 2023. The same year, he visited the Democratic Republic of Congo, calling on militia fighters to lay down their arms — when conflict flared up again this year, he repeated his appeal for peace. He has also visited Kenya, Uganda, Madagascar and Mozambique.
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