This archive report was first published on 2 September 2019.
Pope Francis is scheduled to embark on a week-long tour of three Indian Ocean African countries, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Mauritius, which have been severely affected by poverty, conflict, and natural disasters.
Published on September 2, 2019, the tour marks the first visit by a Pope to Mozambique and Madagascar in over three decades, with the last visit being by Pope John Paul II in 1988 and 1999.
Commentators have noted that the Pope's decision to visit two of the most impoverished countries in the world is an act of solidarity from a cleric who was a frequent presence in the shantytowns of Argentina.
During his visit, the Pope will record a video message in Portuguese for the people of Mozambique, mentioning John Paul's visit and expressing his heart's reach-out to those living in difficult situations.
The Mozambique government has spent 300,000 euros ($330,000) preparing for the Pope's visit, including repairs to Maputo's cathedral and improvements to the city's roads.
On his tour, the Pope will also visit the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar, one of the poorest countries on the planet where three quarters of the people live on less than two dollars a day.
He will end his tour with a brief stay in the relatively prosperous and stable Mauritius, a small island nation east of Madagascar, where the local Catholic community plans to plant 200,000 trees in his honour.
