When Pope Francis begins his inaugural papal trip to Africa, he’ll bring a message of hope and peace to a rapidly growing Catholic population facing its own challenges.
The Pope’s visit starts Wednesday in Kenya, followed by stops in Uganda and the Central African Republic — the latter a lawless conflict zone as Christian and Muslim gangs attack civilians for a second year.
His visit, which takes place despite the instability, highlights the Catholic Church’s explosive growth in Africa and how crucial the region is to the church’s future, experts say.
Africa’s Catholic population is growing faster than any other in the world, and is expected to skyrocket in the coming years, said Bill O’Keefe, a vice president at Catholic Relief Services, a church-affiliated U.S. humanitarian group that does work in Africa.
