'Lay Down Your Arms' Urges Pope as Huge Crowd Gathers for Mass in Kinshasa

An estimated one million people gathered at Ndolo Airport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s capital Kinshasa on February 1, as Pope Francis celebrated Mass after arriving in the country the day before.

Addressing conflict in the country, Francis said, “For all of you in this country who call yourselves Christians but engage in violence, the Lord is telling you: ‘Lay down your arms, embrace mercy.’”

Footage by Elise Ann Allen shows the pontiff and his motorcade driving past cheering crowds.

In an earlier speech at the presidential palace in Kinshasa, the pope condemned what he called “economic colonialism”, Vatican News reported. Credit: Elise Ann Allen via Storyful