On Sunday, the 15th of January, a church in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was targeted in an attack that caused the death of at least 17 Christian faithful. Pope Francis prayed for the victims of this tragedy and invoked the gift of peace in this African country that he will visit at the end of this month. 

In a telegram signed by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican said that Pope Francis was saddened to learn of the attack against a Pentecostal church in Kasindi, DRC, that caused the death of innocent people.  

The Pope expressed his “compassion and closeness to all the families hard hit by this tragedy”. 

In his prayer, the Holy Father “commends to God’s mercy” the “deceased and the wounded” and “asks Christ, the Lord of life, for consolation and trust in God for the afflicted, and the gift of peace”. 

The terrorist bomb killed at least 17 parishioners and wounded dozens of others who gathered on Sunday at a Christian church in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Army spokesman Antony Mualushayi said the attack happened as Pentecostal Christians were worshipping in the town of Kasindi, North Kivu province, on the border with Uganda. 

According to the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), several regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo are the scene of armed conflicts involving various rebel groups. 

On January 12th, the Vatican confirmed that Pope Francis will travel to Africa from January 31st to February 5th to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. 

The Holy Father was intending to visit the cities of Kinshasa and Goma from July 2nd to 5th and Juba, the capital of South Sudan, from July 5th to 7th, 2022, but had to postpone the trip for medical reasons.