Pope Leo XIV expressed his sorrow for the victims in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and southern Africa and prayed that 'dialogue for reconciliation and presence may always prevail among the parties in conflict.' The Supreme Pontiff highlighted the 'great difficulties' forcing the country's residents to take refuge in Burundi due to violence. According to the Argentine News Agency, during the Angelus, he also called for prayers for the victims of the floods that have hit southern Africa in recent days. Leo XIV stated that the population of the Democratic Republic of the Congo faces 'great difficulties' and is forced to flee their lands amid a severe humanitarian crisis in the nation. 'Let us pray that dialogue for reconciliation and presence may always prevail among the parties in conflict,' specified the head of the Catholic Church. Meanwhile, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at least 18 people died due to a landslide caused by heavy rains that struck a city in the east of the country. The bad weather affected much of southern Africa, with more than 100 fatalities in South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. In this regard, the Pope expressed his closeness and the Church's solidarity with the affected countries, stating: 'I also wish to assure my prayers for the victims of the floods that have struck southern Africa in the days past.'
