Catholic Church calls on Mozambicans to keep electoral campaign out of Pope’s visit

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Catholic Church calls on Mozambicans to keep electoral campaign out of Pope’s visit

4:22 CAT | 30 Aug 2019

[File photo: Notícias]

The Catholic church today called on Mozambicans to abstain from election campaigning during Pope Francis’ visit to Mozambique from 4 to 6 September.

The electoral campaign for the October 15 general elections kicks off on Saturday, but Maputo Auxiliary Bishop Antonio Juliasse called for “things not to be mixed up” at a press conference in Maputo today.

The visit will take place “during a campaign period, and the Holy Father came to meet all the Mozambican people,” he said.

“With respect for each other, these events should not be used for political purpose. Not only verbally, but we must also be careful not to divide ourselves in terms of clothing and other materials.”

Bishop Juliasse expects “many buses from various provinces” and pilgrims from other southern African countries, and Mozambican Airlines (LAM) will offer concessionary fares to facilitate air travel related to the visit.

In the capital, the commission set up to prepare for Pope’s the visit has organised special public transport for the events the Pope will attend, particularly the mass at the Zimpeto stadium on Friday 6 September, which organisers expect up to 90,000 people to attend.

The general elections of October 15 will elect the new parliament and president of the republic and, for the first time, the provincial governors, who are no longer to be appointed by the central power.

The move responds to a demand from the main opposition party, the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) presented during negotiations for the peace agreement signed on August 6. The party aspires to ascend to power in the regions.

The leader of the main opposition party, Ossufo Momad, is Muslim, while the current president and candidate for re-election, Filipe Nyusi, is Christian.

The vote is viewed by Renamo and many analysts as the real test of the August 6 peace agreement – the country’s third – as previous understandings have fallen apart amidst post-election violence, their results rejected with opposition parties and some observers claiming fraud.

In a video message released today in anticipation of his visit to Maputo, Pope Francis called for a final reconciliation and a lasting peace.

Source: Lusa