Pope Francis landed in the war-torn capital of the Central African Republic on Sunday, beginning a trip that has been in doubt for security reasons until practically the last minute Confirmation that the pontiff would fly to the country came at the end of Saturday, during which the pope honored Christian martyrs in Uganda, met with young people there and greeted local clergy.
The Central African Republic has been beset since 2013 by civil war that has taken on a religious profile, with armed groups divided between Muslims and Christians.
The pope plans to visit a mosque in the Muslim neighborhood as part of his effort to promote reconciliation, which will also include a meeting with local Christian and Muslim dialogue partners.