{UAH} Delegations arrive in Rome for the weekend's consistory at the Vatican

As already expected thousands of people from all over the world are

expected in Rome this coming weekend ( Saturday 19 Nov / Sunday 20 Nov 2016 )

for the consistory during which Pope Francis will create 17 new cardinals appointed last October 2016. The ceremony itself will take place in St Peter's Basilica on Saturday at 10 am Rome time and then on Sunday the Pope will close the ongoing Jubilee Year of Mercy with High Mass concelebrated with the new cardinals in St Peter's Square where over 200,000 pilgrims will gather for the occasion. This Jubilee Year of Mercy has brought to Rome over 20 million pilgrims. The new cardinals are accompanied by very strong delegations from home, adding to other groups from the diaspora. The warmth and enthusiasm accompanying them continues to portray the very high peak emotions that accompanied the news of their nomination. The three African cardinals are arriving with very great delegations and are being met by a committed and moved diaspora. Many other Africans from various areas of the continent have also arrived in Rome for them, and the Wednesday Papal general audience was an occasion to see many of these pilgrims from Congo (DRC ), Nigeria, and elsewhere. They were among the estimated 100,000 pilgrims assembled in St Peter's Square.

Central African Republic's Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga whose appointment gave rise to unprecedented scenes of jubilation all over the country is being accompanied by a huge delegation that will eventually be joined by the President. Very many Protestants and Moslems are part of the delegation which after the ceremonies at the Vatican will visit  and have a cordial get-together with the Moslems living in Rome.

From France many pilgrims from the diaspora communities of CAR and neighbouring countries and many French pilgrims will also travel to Rome to join the delegation. Many will be travelling by air and huindreds of others by bus and train. Registration has been going on since the cardinal was officially appointed. Other pilgrims for Cardinal Nzapalainga will be travelling to Rome from Europe, Canada and the USA! Nzapalainga is likely to be the most cheered prelate of the ceremony.

Cardinal Maurice Piat of Mauritius Island is the second African on the list. He left for Rome last Monday ( 14/11/2016 ) and arrived yesterday morning. Very many people from Mauritius had shown interest in accompanying their prelate and very many got registered. Mauritus is a middle income country with a GDP per capita situated at US$ 9200 annually ( compare with Uganda's US$ 167 ).So hundreds and hundreds of enthusiastic pilgrims had to fight for the places available on the planes. Travel agencies are fully saturated with demands for tickets whose cost has been lowered thanks to the Government's move to deduct the airport fee from each ticket bought for the occasion. Travelling two days earlier on was a large group of media personnel icluding the official TV team with technicians. The Rome ceremony will specially be transmitted direct to Mauritius. The government will be represented by the Deputy Prime Minister and seven Ministers. The Government working in closer co-operation with diaspora, mainly those living in Italy will host the new cardinal to an official reception in a big hotel in Rome. It's anticipated that the Government delegation will hand an official invitation to Pope Francis to visit Mauritius Island.

After the many commitments in Rome the new cardinal will fly back home on 24/11/2016 and will receive a hero's welcome in the country.

       The 86-year-old Cardinal Sebastian Koto Khoarai of Lesotho who still announces surprises as for his appointment and can't have sufficient time to read the thousands of messages regularly pouring in from all over the world confirms that he is still puzzled and shocked by the appointment which he first learnt from noises of people talking around!! This was so until four days later when he received a formal message with congratulations from the Pope's first Counsellor based in Pretoria. From then on multitudes of people have been flocking to his residence.He is flying to Rome accompanied by a very important delegation from Lesotho, and in addition there will be many people from all regions of Southern Africa and its diaspora who will be joining him in Rome. He will also enjoy the company of the confraternity of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI ) where he belongs. This entire congregation was moved to gleeful joy on learning his appointment as cardinal. And very many of them from all over the world will be in Rome to salute his creation. Many influential media houses from all over Southern Africa, including the famous SARBC, are on the way to Rome. This old cardinal is seen as a regional hero and is respected almost as a living saint!

  Practically all newly appointed cardinals will be graced with that kind of warmly enthusiasm from their countries, even regions and surrounding states. This is also more of the case for Cardinal Sir John Ribat of Papua-New Guinea whose nomination triggered off spontaneous scenes of jubilation in the entire Oceania where he is a venerated figure respected by all. A special welcome ceremony has been programmed on his return ( 27/11/2016 ). He is now travelling to Rome with many people from all over the region covering the entire South Sea Islands. Other pilgrims have already arrived from New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia,
the Philippines, etc.. and many of them reported present at yesterday's weekly Papal audience. Media institutions from all over the region will relay live the ceremonies to millions of people in the entire Oceania.

The Pope is naturally  happy with the coming weekend events. His effort to nominate cardinals from every inch of the globe is fetching great rewards for the Church which is now proudly honouring prelates who wouldn't now sink in the arena of unsung celebrities. The Pope is showing how the Church has heroes everywhere including at what may be seen as its periphery!

He is also closing a very successful Holy Jubilee Year of Mercy. Last Sunday (13/11/ 2016) he said Mass in St Peter's Basilica to mark the Holy Year's concern for the homeless. Thousands packed the very vast Basilica. And after Mass he presided over the Angelus prayer and blessed the 150,000 persons present.

Coming Saturday and Sunday will see hundreds of thousands of these pilgrims surrounding the Pope for the great ceremonies that will give a new rise to Africa and the whole planet.

Dr G.H. Kkolokolo  ( Paris / France )

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