- Title: UGANDA: POPE ARRIVES IN AFRICA TO HUGE WELCOME.
- Date: 1st August 1969
- Summary: KAMPALA GV; PEOPLE AT AIRPORT; BANNER; DANCERS; PRESIDENT OBOTE; PRESIDENT NYERERE; PRESIDENT KAYIBANDA; POPE IN PLANE ARRIVING; POPE DOWN STEPS; ON BALCONY; CROSSING TARMAC; WELCOME BANNER; POPE OF ROSTRUM; CROWDS LISTENING; LEAVING ROSTRUM; MOTORCADE; CROWDS FOLLOWING CAR; NUNS AND OTHERS ON ROADSIDE; POPE WAVING; CATHEDRAL; INT. CATHEDRAL; POPE LISTENING; CARDIN
- Embargoed: 16th August 1969 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ENTEBBE AND KAMPALA, UGANDA
- Country: Uganda
- Reuters ID: LVA3F4SBHJE6ITLIUXQ2P0FO2U96
- Story Text: HEADS OF THREE AFRICAN STATES, PRESIDENT OBOTE OF UGANDA, PRESIDENT NYERERE OF TANZANIA AND PRESIDENT KAYIBANDA OF RWANDA, WERE AT KAMPALA AIRPORT TO GREET POPE PAUL WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS 52 HOUR VISIT TO AFRICA.
THE GREETING WAS TRULY AFRICAN, WITH DANCERS AND DRUMMER BEATING OUT A RHYTHMIC, THROBBING WELCOME. IN HIS SPEECH WHICH CLOSED THE ALL AFRICAN BISHOPS SYMPOSIUM WHICH HAD BEEN IN PROGRESS FOR THREE DAYS; THE POPE TOLD THE SYMPOSIUM: "IF YOU ARE ABLE TO AVOID THE DANGER OF MAKING YOUR CHRISTIAN PROFESSION INTO A KIND OF LOCAL FOLKLORE, OR INTO EXCLUSIVIST RACISM, OR INTO EGOISTIC TRIBALISM OR ARBITRARY SEPARATISM, THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO REMAIN SINCERELY AFRICAN. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FORMULATE CATHOLICISM IN TERMS CONGENIAL TO YOUR OWN CULTURE, YOU WILL BE CAPABLE OF BRINGING TO THE CHURCH THE PRECIOUS AND ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION OF NEGRITUDE WHICH SHE PARTICULARLY NEEDS IN THIS HISTORIC HOUR."
POPE PAUL HAS ALREADY STATED THAT ONE OF HIS HOPES DURING HIS VISIT TO AFRICA WILL BE TO FIND SOME SORT OF SOLUTION TO THE WAR BETWEEN NIGERIA AND BIAFRA. SPEAKING AT THE KAMPALA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HE SAID: "WE BELIEVED THAT TODAY CONFLICTS BETWEEN PEOPLES CAN BE RESOLVED BY A BETTER AND MORE EFFICACIOUS WAY THAN THE WAY OF VIOLENCE. HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS MUST NOT BE REGULATED BY THE CONFRONTATIONS OF FORCES UNLEASHED FOR SLAUGHTER AND DESTRUCTION, BUT BY REASONABLE NEGOTIATIONS, UPHELD BY THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, TO WHICH WE MUST FIVE AUTHORITY EFFICIENCY AND CONFIDENCE."
ON THE SUBJECT OF HIS EFFORTS TO ALLEVIATE AND SOLVE THE "AGONISING CONFLICT" IN NIGERIA HE SAID: "WE HAVE NOT ONLY SOUGHT TO SECURE GOOD AND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE, IMPARTIALLY AND BY EVERY MEANS AVAILABLE TO US, BUT HAVE ALSO TRIED TO APPLY THE REMEDY OF A CERTAIN INITIAL RECONCILIATION. UP TO NOW WE HAVE NOT SUCCEEDED, AND THIS GIVES US HEARTFELT PAIN, BUT WE ARE RESOLVED TO CONTINUE OUR MODEST, BUT AFFECTIONATE AND FAIR EFFORTS OF PERSUASION, TO HELP HEAL THIS FATAL DISSENTION."
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