Pope prays for Democratic Republic of Congo

By Christopher Wells

Pope Francis led the faithful in prayer for “all those suffering in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on account of violence and of Ebola.” He offered the prayer during the weekly recitation of the Angelus at St Peter’s Square on Sunday.

The DRC is holding historic elections on Sunday, which could bring about the country’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power. However, an estimated one million people have been barred from voting because of a deadly Ebola virus outbreak in the country. The decision to restrict voting has led to concerns about the credibility of the elections.

In his remarks on Sunday, Pope Francis expressed his hopes “that everyone will commit themselves to maintaining a peaceful climate that will allow the elections to be carried out in a regular and peaceful manner,” before leading the faithful in the recitation of the “Hail Mary.”