Democratic Republic of Congo: The Apostolic Voyage and the Okapi.

Paul Samasumo – Vatican City.

Pope Francis will travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo from 2 to 5 July. He intends to visit the cities of Kinshasa and Goma. The Holy See Press Office recently released the logo for the Pope’s 37th Apostolic Journey outside Italy.

All reconciled in Jesus Christ 

The motto of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to the Democratic Republic of Congo is, All reconciled in Jesus Christ. The DRC’s logo features symbols of the nation and an image of the Pope giving his blessing.

The okapi is found only in the DRC

Also depicted in the logo is the okapi. It is an animal only found in the DRC, living in the wild and representing the richness of Congolese fauna. Sometimes described as the “forest giraffe,” the okapi is one of the oldest mammals on Earth and only came to the attention of scientists in the early 20th century. It was, however, well-known and part of the culture of the indigenous people - natives of the Ituri Rainforest in the DRC.

nationalgeographic.com explains that an okapi looks like a cross between a deer and a zebra. Nevertheless, it’s the giraffe’s only living relative. Like its giraffe cousin, the okapi can strip leaves from branches with its tongue. It has thick, oily fur that enables it to stay dry in the rainforest. 

The okapi’s existence is under grave threat from the impact of human activities.