THE POPE is expected to spend the last days of his six-country August tour of Africa at the 43rd International Eucharist Congress. to be held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
Pope John Paul will join wellknown Church figures from around the world, such as Cardinal Jaime Sin from the Philippines, Chicago's Cardinal Joseph Bernardin and Mother Teresa of Calcutta, as well as prominent African leaders such as Fr Mkhatshwa, SecretaryGeneral of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference.
The eight-day congress from August 11 to 18, the first since Lourdes in 1981, will tackle themes such as world hunger, vocations, marriage, ecumenism and youth. The question of "Inculturation" — the absorption of African practices and values into the Christian tradition — is also high on the agenda.
Archbishop Gabriel Zubeir of Khartoum will travel from drought and famine-ridden Sudan to address the congress on "Sufferings of Africa". Archbishop Jean Zoe of Yaounde will pick up this theme, when, days after the Pope's visit to his home country of Cameroon, he will deliver an address entitled "Some go hungry".
The Pope, who will visit Kenya, Zaire, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Togo and Morocco, will he making his third African trip in five years.