Church bells echoed across Kinshasa on Monday as news of Pope Francis’s death sent shockwaves through the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The pontiff, who visited the nation in 2023, was remembered by many as a champion for the poor and the forgotten.
At Our Lady of the Congo Cathedral, mourners gathered in silence, lighting candles and offering prayers for the late pope.
Madeleine Bomendje, among the faithful, said, “He was sick, he was suffering, but it’s still a terrible shock. I can’t believe it.”
A special morning mass was held in his honor, drawing both Catholics and non-Catholics to reflect on his legacy.
With nearly half of DR Congo’s 100 million people identifying as Catholic, Pope Francis’s message carried immense weight.
Despite the country’s immense mineral wealth, decades of war and poverty have plagued its eastern provinces.
The pope’s visit brought international attention to DR Congo’s humanitarian crisis, long overshadowed by global politics.
He condemned “economic colonialism” and urged the world not to plunder Africa but to uplift its people.
“He cared about us, our country,” said Bomendje, her voice trembling with grief.
Justin Kambale, who saw the pope during his Kinshasa mass, said the pontiff’s words “resonated with hope” amid despair.
“He always spoke of the war in DR Congo, Sudan, Palestine, Ukraine—he never forgot us,” Kambale added.
Father Camille Esika, rector of Kinshasa’s cathedral, said Pope Francis was “the voice of the voiceless.”
His death, he said, was not just a loss to Catholics, but “to all the world’s poor.”
At the Jesuit-run Sacre-Coeur parish, lawyer Raphael Kabangu came to pray, calling the pope “a symbol of compassion and unity.”
“He influenced hearts. He brought us together,” Kabangu said.
