(Vatican Radio) “It is quite an exciting moment for us. The Holy Father is coming for the first time to Africa, and he chose Kenya as his entrance door.” Ahead of Pope Francis’ arrival in Nairobi on Wednesday, Kenyans shared their hopes and expectations for the papal visit.
Lily Mugombozi is a journalist working for New City Africa, the magazine of the Focolare movement, and will be following every moment of the Pope’s journey. Just like any other person in this country, I really feel blessed and privileged. She spoke with Vatican Radio’s Linda Bordoni.
Listen:
“I think God has great things for us,” she said. “First of all, we see Pope Francis as a leader of the world, not only for Catholics, and this is really striking. Last Saturday I participated in a radio program, where some youth were introducing what they are doing, what their preparations for the Holy Father entail. And during the call-in program I was very struck by non-Catholics who were calling in the studio to assure their support for the Holy Father, their joy, and some were saying the Holy Father is a Father to everyone, not only to Catholics.”
Another issue, she said is reconciliation. Mugombozi noted that Pope Francis emphasized the message of reconciliation in his video message to the people of Kenya and Uganda. “I watched his message on Youtube, and he really stresses this, that he hopes that his presence among us will also be a sign of reconciliation. He will speak of reconciliation, and we really do need this in Kenya.” She said she expects the Pope’s message of reconciliation and peace will remain even after Pope Francis concludes his visit.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) A well-researched article in the Kenyan daily press gives an accurate “dress-down” of some of the garments you would find in Pope Francis’ wardrobe.
What it doesn’t mention is that here in Kenya all of his vestments and a beautiful rosary made of beads have been prepared by a group of sisters and women who work in an income-generating facility in Kangemi slum called “Dolly Craft”.
Click below to hear the report from Vatican Radio’s special envoy in Kenya, Linda Bordoni
The sewery – which gets its name from its initial project of making African dolls – is operated by the Jesuit-run St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Kangemi slum. It has been working full steam to prepare the vestments not only for Pope Francis, but also for all the priests and bishops who will be celebrating Mass here in Nairobi.
One of the priests at the Parish told me that for their special project, the women took design samples they made to the bishops in charge of the preparations for Pope Francis’ visit. The bishops approved the designs and gave the women a logo to include on the three vestments.
He explained the women designed three garments for the pope’s main functions while he’s in Kenya: a simple white ankle-length alb, a classic golden sleeveless chasuble, and a white chasuble embroidered with a Maasai tribe design in coloured beads which have been hand-woven into the cloth itself.
The women working on the project – he said – were overjoyed to be playing such a tangible part in Pope Francis’ visit and have been working around the clock to make sure the vestments were ready in time.
“It feels so good”, Alice Wanjiru, a single mother of two boys who works at the project told a local newspaper: “It is my first time and probably my last to make a garment for a Pope. . . . and very few people get a chance like this. The pope – she said – is a big person to wear what has been made with my hands. I can already feel the blessings”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday sent telegrams to the leaders of each of the countries he overflew on his Apostolic Journey to three African nations.
The presidents of Italy, Greece, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya all received a telegram from the Holy Father invoking divine blessings of peace and well-being on their people.
The full text of each telegram may be found below:
To Italy:
A SUA ECCELLENZA
ON. SERGIO MATTARELLA
PRESIDENTE DELLA REPUBBLICA ITALIANA
NEL MOMENTO IN CUI MI ACCINGO A COMPIERE UN VIAGGIO APOSTOLICO IN KENYA, UGANDA E REPUBBLICA CENTRAFRICANA, MOSSO DAL VIVO DESIDERIO DI INCONTRARE I FRATELLI NELLA FEDE E GLI ABITANTI DI QUELLE CARE NAZIONI, MI E’ GRADITO RIVOLGERE A LEI SIGNOR PRESIDENTE L’ESPRESSIONE DEL MIO DEFERENTE SALUTO CHE ACCOMPAGNO CON FERVIDE PREGHIERE PER IL BENE E LA PROSPERITA’ DELL’INTERO POPOLO ITALIANO
FRANCISCUS PP
To Greece:
HIS EXCELLENCY PROKOPIS PAVLOPOULOS
PRESIDENT OF THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC
ATHENS
I SEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND TO YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS AS I FLY OVER THE COUNTRY ON MY WAY TO KENYA FOR A PASTORAL VISIT. I INVOKE DIVINE BLESSINGS UPON GREECE, AND I PRAY THAT ALMIGHTY GOD MAY BLESS YOU ALL WITH PEACE AND WELL-BEING.
FRANCISCUS PP.
To Egypt:
HIS EXCELLENCY ABDEL FATTAH AL SISI
PRESIDENT OF THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT
CAIRO
AS I FLY OVER YOUR COUNTRY ON MY WAY TO KENYA FOR A PASTORAL VISIT, I EXTEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND THE PEOPLE OF EGYPT. INVOKING THE BLESSING OF THE ALMIGHTY UPON THE NATION, I PRAY THAT HE MAY GRANT YOU WELL-BEING AND PEACE.
FRANCISCUS PP.
To Sudan:
HIS EXCELLENCY OMAR AL-BASHIR
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE SUDAN
KHARTOUM
UPON ENTERING THE AIRSPACE OF THE NATION AS I TRAVEL TO KENYA FOR A PASTORAL VISIT, I EXTEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS. I PRAY THAT THE ALMIGHTY MAY GRANT THE SUDAN DIVINE BLESSINGS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY.
FRANCISCUS PP.
To Ethiopia:
HIS EXCELLENCY MULATU TESHOME
PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA
ADDIS ABABA
AS I TRAVEL OVER ETHIOPIA ON MY WAY TO KENYA FOR A PASTORAL VISIT, I SEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND TO YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS. ASSURING YOU OF MY PRAYERS FOR THE PEACE AND WELL-BEING OF THE NATION, I INVOKE DIVINE BLESSINGS UPON ALL OF YOU.
FRANCISCUS PP.
To Kenya:
HIS EXCELLENCY UHURU KENYATTA
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA
NAIROBI
AS I ENTER KENYAN AIRSPACE, I SEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS. I LOOK FORWARD WITH GREAT JOY TO VISITING THE NATION, AND I INVOKE ABUNDANT DIVINE BLESSINGS UPON YOU ALL.
FRANCISCUS PP.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has arrived in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi where he was welcomed by the nation’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta, by local religious leaders and by crowds of singing, dancing well-wishers.
The papal plane touched down at 4.30 local time, ahead of schedule. After signing a visitor’s book, the Pope met privately with the President at the airport for a few minutes before being taken by car to the State House for an official welcome ceremony.
Pope Francis is the third pontiff to visit the East African nation, following in the footsteps of his predecessor John Paul II who travelled to the country three times in 1980, 1985 and 1995.
(from Vatican Radio)…
Vatican City, 25 November 2015 (VIS) – This morning the Holy Father departed for Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic, on the eleventh apostolic trip of his papacy. At 7.15 a.m., before leaving for Rome’s Fiumicino airport, he received in the Domus Sanctae Marthae eleven women and six children from a Refuge House for victims of domestic violence and trafficking for the purposes of prostitution, according to the Apostolic Almoner. The women were Italian, Nigerian, Romanian and Ukrainian, and are housed in a structure managed by a religious congregation in a village in the Lazio region. Following the audience, the Pope travelled by car to Fiumicino where he departed for Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, where he is expected to arrive shortly after 3 p.m. (Rome), 5 p.m. local time. He will be received by the president of the Republic, Uhuru Kenyatta, and by the cardinal archbishop of Nairobi John Njue, along with the president of the Episcopal Conference Bishop Philip A. Anyolo and other representatives of the episcopate. He will then transfer to the State House of Nairobi, where the welcome ceremony and courtesy visit to President Uhuru Kenyatta will take place. Subsequently, in the garden of the State House, he will meet with the authorities and the diplomatic corps, along with other figures from the political, economic and cultural spheres, after which he will pronounce his first discourse on African soil….