KAMPALA, Uganda — The latest on Pope Francis’ first trip to Africa.
Pope Francis says “the world looks to Africa as the continent of hope” and that his tour of the continent is aimed at drawing attention to Africa’s achievements and struggles.
In a speech before Ugandan authorities and diplomats at the state house, Francis touched upon issues he raised while in Kenya, such as the need to respect one another regardless of differences.
Francis also spoke about the Uganda Martyrs, a group of Catholics and Anglicans killed in the late 19th century by a local king eager to assert his authority amid the growing influence of missionaries.
He said of the martyrs: “They remind us of the importance that faith, moral rectitude and commitment to the common good have played, and continue to play, in the cultural, economic and political life of this country.”
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986 and who’s campaigning for re-election in 2016, gave no remarks
Pope Francis has arrived in Uganda on the second leg of his pilgrimage to Africa.
Francis was received at Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, government officials and local church leaders.
A brass band played as his airplane touched down about just after 5 p.m. local time.
Francis, who arrived from Kenya and also is scheduled to visit Central African Republic, is in Uganda mainly to honor the memory of a group of Ugandan Christians who were killed in the late 19th century on the orders of a local king eager to thwart the growing influence of Christianity.
Those victims, known as the Uganda Martyrs, include 45 Anglicans and Catholics killed between 1885 and 1887. Pope Paul VI canonized the 22 Ugandan Catholics in 1964.
Francis will celebrate Mass Saturday at a shrine dedicated to the Catholic martyrs, and he will visit an Anglican shrine dedicated to the martyrs.
Pope Francis has left Kenya and is bound for Uganda, the second leg of his tour of three nations on his first visit of Africa.
At the Jomo Kenyatta International airport in Nairobi, he was welcomed by traditional dancers, some in Maasai dresses, children waving the Vatican flag and choirs.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and other officials bid farewell to the pope, who arrived in Nairobi on Wednesday.
Hundreds of people lined the roads leading to the airport to wave goodbye to Francis.
During his stay in Kenya, he has spoken out about the environment, corruption, human rights and poverty — issues that are close to his heart. He also visited a slum in Nairobi before embarking.
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