VIRTUES LEAVES US

Central African Republic’s capital had been torn apart by inter-religious violence leading up to Pope Francis’ 2015 visit, its streets haunted by fear and division.

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Yet, there was the open-air Popemobile driving through a Muslim-majority neighbourhood of Bangui, a zone off-limits to Christians, with the Pope crossing a line many feared amid a years-long civil war.

An imam at his side, Francis removed his shoes, bowed his head and entered a mosque, imploring people to "say ‘no’ to hatred, vengeance and violence, especially that committed in the name of a religion or God.”

The episode is being recalled by Catholics as they weigh the Pontiff’s legacy throughout Africa, a continent where the faith is growing rapidly and where, unlike Francis, the priesthood leans deeply conservative.

A ‘BIG LESSON ON HUMILITY’

Priests and parishioners who spoke to The Associated Press from Morocco to South Africa remembered Francis’ commitment to the marginalised, including victims of violence, poverty or the enduring structures borne from colonialism.

"Christians and Muslims who used to stare at each other were reconciled," Ella Carine Kossingou, a Bangui resident, said of Francis’ visit. “I'm not Catholic, but I won't forget his presence in our country."