The first major embrace of Africa came in November 2015, when Francis visited three emblematic countries: Kenya, Uganda, and the Central African Republic. The latter, in particular, witnessed a historic gesture: the opening of the Holy Door of the Jubilee of Mercy at the cathedral in Bangui, ahead of the official opening in Rome. A gesture heavy with meaning, carried out in a country scarred by interreligious violence, it affirmed that even in the most afflicted peripheries, mercy can bloom as a response to hatred.

In March 2019, the Pope travelled to Morocco at the invitation of King Mohammed VI. In a Muslim-majority context, Francis emphasised the importance of interreligious dialogue and religious freedom. The meeting between the two religious figures—the head of the Catholic Church and the "Commander of the Faithful"—was laden with symbolic significance. The Pontiff reiterated that faith “can never be imposed by force” and issued a strong appeal for the protection of migrants, many of whom pass through North Africa: “This is not just about numbers, but about faces, stories, dreams and hopes.”

In 2017, Pope Francis also visited Egypt, a land with deep Christian roots and at the heart of delicate geopolitical balances. In Cairo, he took part in an international peace conference promoted by Al-Azhar, the highest institution of Sunni Islam. There, the Pope firmly condemned all forms of fundamentalism, reminding the world that “violence is the negation of every true religion”. His presence there, too, became a sign of closeness and openness—a bridge between faiths in the name of human dignity.

Eight years after his first journey, in February 2023, Francis returned to sub-Saharan Africa to visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. In Congo, he sharply condemned the exploitation of natural resources by both foreign powers and local elites, declaring: “Africa is not a mine to be stripped or a land to be plundered.” It was a warning not only to political leaders and multinationals, but to the collective conscience of the international community.

In South Sudan—a country ravaged by a prolonged civil war—the Pope performed a historic and unprecedented act: he made his visit alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields. It was a living testimony of concrete ecumenism—an appeal for reconciliation and unity addressed to a deeply divided nation. “We are here as pilgrims of peace,” he said in one of the most moving moments of the journey.

Yet as early as 2019, during a spiritual retreat at the Vatican for South Sudanese leaders, Francis had made one of the most powerful gestures of his pontificate: he knelt before President Salva Kiir and his opponents Riek Machar and Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, kissing their feet. A disarming act, full of humility and supplication, with which the Pope implored peace: “I ask you with all my heart: stay in peace. I ask you this on my knees.” A powerful image that travelled the world, capturing the essence of Francis’s relationship with Africa: a bond built on listening, respect and profound love.

A Voice for the World’s Peripheries

Pope Francis’s special relationship with Africa fits within his vision of a “Church that goes forth”—attentive to geographical and existential peripheries. Africa is not just a geographical destination, but a symbolic place where the great contradictions of our time intersect: wealth and poverty, faith and violence, hope and despair.

On numerous occasions, including public addresses in Rome and official documents—such as the encyclical Fratelli tutti—the Pope has drawn attention to the injustices suffered by African populations, often reduced to mere objects of economic and geopolitical interests. At the same time, he has consistently highlighted Africa’s unique contribution to the universal Church: a living faith, a vibrant youth, and a culture of community that offers value to the entire world.

In Francis’s thought, Africa is a “continent of hope for humanity”, despite its wounds. In various homilies and speeches, the Pontiff has repeatedly stressed the urgency of “liberating Africa from colonial and neo-colonial logic”—not only economic, but cultural as well. His call is for a shift in perspective: not to look at Africa with pity, but with respect and openness.

In 2022, speaking to the Pontifical Mission Societies, Francis said: “Africa is a young continent, full of energy and dreams. But it is also a wounded continent, too often forgotten. Yet God never forgets His children. The Church must learn from them a faith that knows how to dance even through trial.”

The Pope has also underlined how Africa serves as a spiritual laboratory for the future of Christianity. In a world where secularisation is advancing, the dynamism of African communities represents a vital resource for the entire Church. “There,” he has said on multiple occasions, “faith is not a theory, but a force that accompanies everyday life.”

The Pope of the Least

As the first non-European Pope in nearly 1,300 years, Francis is often referred to as “the Pope of the Least.” His decision to place Africa at the centre of his pontificate is a clear expression of that identity. It is not merely about symbolic trips, but a consistent commitment to upend visibility hierarchies and give voice to the voiceless.

His words—spoken with firmness and love—have echoed through deserts, slums, hospitals and refugee camps, resounding as a summons to global conscience. In his teaching, Africa is not a land to be “helped from above”, but a living reality capable of teaching the world the beauty of solidarity and lived faith.

See, Papa Francesco e l’Africa, un legame speciale