In his sermon, Pope Francis addressed the youth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The head of the Catholic Church called on the young to forge a new future free from ethnic rivalry, corruption, and mistrust which were the main cause of modern conflicts in Africa.

Some 65,000 youths attended the meeting with the Pope in Martyrs Stadium. The Pope also spoke on the need for forgiveness and for peace – the two most salient points of his message during the trip to Congo – a country dominated by armed conflict and a power struggle over the recent years.

Those listening at times interrupted, greeting moments of the speech with applause and cheers. This was eventually resolved by the organizers in asking the youths to “let the pope speak”.

During the speech, some of the gathered began singing a political chant in Lingala, expressing disappointment with the rule of President Félix Tshisekedi, who is now running in the elections to secure his next term in office.

The Pope did not take any side of the situation but called for free, transparent and credible elections reminding how “power is meaningful only if it becomes a form of service.”

The main theme of the stadium speech the pope articulated was “ingredients for the future”.

“To create a new future we need to give and receive forgiveness. That is what Christians do,” Francis appealed.

This African country visited by the Pope was until recently suffering the consequences of the 1994 genocide in neighboring Rwanda. Yet another source of violence in the country, is the struggle and vying for control of its vast mineral resources.

“Beware of the temptation to point a finger at someone, to exclude another person because he or she is different; beware of regionalism, tribalism, or anything that makes you feel secure in your own group,” the Pope said.

“You know what happens: first, you believe in prejudices about others, then you justify hatred, then violence, and in the end, you find yourself in the middle of a war,” added the Pontiff in drawing to a close.