Africa remembers Pope who spoke for the continent

Millions of African Catholics, as well as the continent’s leaders, are mourning a man who they felt spoke for Africa.
Home to nearly a fifth of the Church’s followers, or 272 million people, Africa is becoming increasingly important in the Catholic world, and observers say Pope Francis did a lot to raise the profile of the continent within the institution.
Heads of state reflected the sentiments of many describing how the late Pope spoke out for the marginalised.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu called him a “tireless champion of the poor” and his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted his “world view of inclusion [and] equality”.
The Vatican says that over the past year, seven million Africans have converted to Catholicism, making the continent one of the fastest-growing regions for the Church.

Source: BBC | Language: English