Pope Francis comes to Africa: Soft power at its best

INTRODUCTION

Pope Francis completed his maiden dramatic visit to the African continent that started on 25th to 30th November 2015. The Holy Father’s visit covered Kenya, Uganda and Central African Republic. However it should be noted that the visit was for the whole continent but for practical reasons few lucky countries had to be selected. The countries chosen represent the continent’s geopolitical strategic location: Kenya is home to numerous international agencies affiliated to the UN, United Nation’s Environmental Program (UNEP) being one of them. Kenya and Uganda have been playing a pivotal role in the war with Al Shabaab in Somalia, and both countries have been attacked by the militant Islamist group. Uganda is the land of the Uganda Martyrs whose 50th anniversary of canonization, Pope Francis came to celebrate. Uganda is also among the most Catholic countries on the African continent with the Catholic population estimated at 42 % of the population. Uganda is considered the center of the Great Lakes region.

Central African Republic is right in the heart of Africa but also symbolizes the challenges of state formation as well as the struggles of democratic consolidation. The tension and conflict between Moslems and Christians in the Central African Republic could not but catch the attention of Pope Francis. The three countries represent the joys, hopes and challenges of the African continent that Pope Francis came to celebrate.

This was a visit like no other. Headlines are still filling the global media on Pope Francis’s maiden visit to Africa. CNN, BBC, European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the less known Eternal Word Television (EWTN) that broadcast live the entire visit of the Pope, kept viewers glued to the television screens. Existential logic of the trip is evident. The head of the Roman Catholic Church that has members estimated at more than 1.2 billion leaves the heart of Europe to visit the heart of Africa, at a time when the narrative of “Africa rising” is dominating global discourse. Africa is now becoming a center of attention. Unlike the visits of previous pontiffs, Pope Francis’ trip to Africa came amidst heightened security concerns brought about by militant Islamists.

cc Getty
A billboard on Waiyaki Way, Kangemi, welcoming Pope Francis

The ever shrewd politicians took advantage of the Pope’s visit especially in Uganda where elections are due in February 2016. The Pope’s visit was an occasion for some form of reconciliation as sworn enemies shook hands at Uganda Martyrs Shrine, as if to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah that “a lion would lie with a calf.” In Kenya, former presidents graced the State-house event with the Pope—a scene rare in Uganda where there has never been a peaceful handover of power from one president to the next. Care for the poor and marginalized came out prominently throughout the entire visit. The heavens also welcomed the Pope—rain showers of blessings but also to heed his call for the care of the environment. By this grand visit the Pope is saying: “Do not be scared by the alarmist news of impending terror attacks. Come to Africa, the continent of hope.”

And indeed Pope Francis came to Africa in style, to spread the Gospel of Afro-optimism. Benefits of the Pope’s visit include: rejuvenation of the faith, reconciliation, dialogue, tolerance, peace, message on equitable distribution of resources, improved infrastructure and good publicity that can later boost tourism and attract foreign investment on the continent. The Pope is affirming that Africa is rising, but he also quickly adds his voice to others like the celebrated Oxfam Director Winnie Byanyima who rightly ask: “Africa rising, but for whom?”

GLOBAL ICON COMES TO AFRICA: MOOD AND GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Uganda was strategically placed in the middle of the visit, creating a dramatic climax: Celebrating 50th anniversary of the canonization of the Uganda Martyrs—an epic story of radical commitment to the Christian faith. The sheer size of the Catholic population also added to the pomp. The political mood of February 2016 general elections impelled politicians to take advantage of heightened excitement to gain political capital, both incumbent and opposition. Pilgrims from Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, South Sudan, DRC, Ethiopia, Nigeria flocked to Kampala, Uganda’s capital. Good climate and the lush green vegetation and warm city where pilgrims could even sleep in the open fields, but above all, abundance of affordable food, all fit well into Pope Francis’ concern for the environment--our common home.

cc Getty
Pope Francis being welcomed by Religious leaders at Entebbe, Uganda.

The expectations were great and high. The poor looked to the Pope’s visit for solace and consolation. They expected him to address issues of inequality and exclusion - and he did. His choice to visit a slum area in the outskirts of Nairobi, St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Kangemi, came as no surprise. The victims of terror attacks in Kenya and violence in Central African Republic expected a message of hope, reconciliation and peace. The millions of unemployed youth also looked up to the Pope to plead their cause. And those who are looking for democratic and social space (opposition politicians, human rights activists especially those who champion minority rights) published opinion pieces highlighting issues that the Pope should address, that governments would not mention. All these were not disappointed.

SACRED HUMOR: “I FEAR MOSQUITOES MORE” AND “THE SUGAR OF CORRUPTION”

Great leaders have a rare quality known as humor and wit. Pope Francis has this quality in great abundance. When he was asked whether he was not afraid of insecurity as he embarked on is African tour, he replied: “I am afraid of mosquitoes more than anything else.” He was probably unwittingly expressing the feeling of most Africans who daily face the menace of malaria caused by mosquitoes, rather than the threat of terrorism that comes up once in a while.

At Kasarani stadium in Nairobi while addressing the youth in the presence of government and church leaders, the Pope took time to express his displeasure at the wanton corruption that robs the poor of a decent life while enriching the already rich. He used an unforgatable metaphor that left many roaring with laughter: “The sugar of corruption that leaves people with diabetes.”

SOCIAL JUSTICE AMIDST A GLOBAL CRISIS

The issue of caring for the sick and poor came out prominently, especially when he visited Kangemi slum in Nairobi and the home of the destitute in Kampala, at Nalukolongo near Rubaga Catholic Cathedral. When the Holy Father was asked to comment on the poverty and exclusion he witnessed in Kangemi’s slum area he said the following: “If mankind does not change we will continue to have more miseries, tragedies, wars, children who die of hunger, of injustice. What does one think of those who have 80 percent of the world’s wealth in their hands? And this is not communism. This is the truth. But the truth is not easy to see.” Then he went on to challenge the economic system that puts money at the center, a system that he equates to idolatry.

To see is to believe. Pope Francis took time to experience the actual suffering of the people. This he did when visited the pediatric hospital in Bangui. This is how he described his experience: “Yesterday, for example, I went to a pediatric hospital, the only one in Bangui and maybe in the country, and in the intensive care unit they do not have instruments of oxygen. There were many malnourished children there, many of them, and the doctor told me that the majority of them will die soon because they have very bad malaria and are seriously malnourished.” This shortage of basic medical facilities is common across Africa. Such a shortage can be blamed on negligence and rampart corruption. The wealthy can afford to go to private hospitals at home and abroad while the poor are condemned to poorly staffed and poorly resourced hospitals.

The Pope’s visit coincided with increasing militarism amidst global terrorism. When he was asked to comment about the current events around Turkey shooting down a Russian plane, he said the following about war and terrorism: “War is a business, a business of weapons. Terrorists, do they make weapons? Yeah, maybe just little ones. Who gives them to them to make war? There is an entire network of interests where there is money or power behind, either imperial or joint power.”

POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE POPE’S VISIT

Africa is referred to as a continent on the move or on the rise. So the Pope’s visit should be seen from the perspective of increasing visibility. The Pope’s visit can be described in economic terms as a “sacred marketing strategy” or “sacred branding.” If the continent can successfully host a high-profile global figure such as Pope Francis, then the continent is indeed on the rise to greater heights. It is not surprising that just as soon as the Pope left in the week following the grand papal visit, the Chinese President Xi Jean Ping came to Zimbabwe and South Africa for the historical Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. South Africa has already signed deals worth $6 billion. The Pope’s visit has clearly added value to the African continent, not just the countries he visited.

For the individual countries that the Pope visited, benefits can be discerned in the area of tourism. The Uganda Martyrs’ Shrine was given a face-lift, streets leading to Namugongo where the Uganda Martyrs’ Shrine is located were give a layer of tarmac. Kangemi slum in Nairobi where the Pope visited the poor was also improved in terms of lighting, roads, and drainage. The residents of Kangemi were smiling at the new look and hoped that if the Pope were to visit every year, Kangemi would become paradise.

It is not easy to quantify what commodities were consumed during the visit of the Holy Father in the respective countries. But small retailers, printeries, hoteliers, transport providers must have made a killing. Papal souvenirs were all over the streets. Uganda’s government daily The New Vision even imported rosaries from Rome for the papal visit. A rosary usually associated with mainly Catholics all of a sudden became a commodity on high demand regardless of creed.

What of political capital? Shrewd politicians took advantage of the Pope’s visit to gain political capital. This is more so in Uganda where elections are due in February 2015. The Pope’s visit couldn’t but be perceived from the lens of the impending elections. The opposition politicians wrote opinion pieces in Uganda’s dailies urging the Pope to ask President Museveni to relinquish power, and not even bother to stand come 2016. Others wished that the Pope would address corruption (this he did in Kenya, and you can be sure Ugandans were listening attentively). On the other hand the Museveni government wished that the Pope would appreciate the progress made for the last 30 years of NRM rule. The hospitality given to refugees by Uganda was singled out as worthy of mention by the Pope.

In what many consider a miracle the famous Opposition presidential candidate Dr Kiza Besigye was seen having a handshake with President Museveni after the celebrations at Namugongo Uganda Martyrs Shrine. This was happening for the first time after the 15 years these two men fell out. Dr Besigye interpreted this gesture as a sign that Museveni was now ready to hand over power to him. Only time will tell. The other gesture that stole the show at Namugongo was the pose of the two leading contenders for unseating President Museveni, Dr Besigye and Hon. Amama Mbabazi. Although both men are vying for the same prize, the impression they gave was that they could work together on the project of making a peaceful transition from President Yoweri Museveni. One can imagine that in their mind they were praying that the Pope’s visit could bring about the first ever peaceful transition in Uganda’s political history. Again only time will tell on this noble desire.

Two of Uganda’s presidential hopefuls chatting (Hon. Amama Mbabaazi (L) and Dr. Kiiza Besigye (R) at Namugongo where the papal mass was celebrated

In Kenya, President Uhuru Kenya must have also reaped huge political capital for hosting the Pope shortly after hosting President Obama. This was a good opportunity for Kenya to prove that there is enough security in the country to host such a high profile guest. The visit also no doubt added to the call for national integration and unity amidst simmering ethnic tension that nearly ripped the country apart during the 2007 elections.

POPE FRANCIS AS AN AFRO-OPTIMIST

On the place of Africa in the world, the head of the Catholic Church was not shy to mention that the world looks to Africa as the continent of hope, and singled our Uganda as a country “blessed by God with abundant natural resources, which you are challenged to administer as responsible stewards.” He was here alluding to equitable distribution national resources but also taking care of the environment, a theme close to his heart.

Pope Francis expressed his view about the African continent, but also pointed out the reality of exploitation. He used the metaphor of a martyr given that he had been in Uganda, the land of the Uganda Martyrs: “Africa is a martyr, a martyr of exploitation. Those who say that from Africa come all calamities and all wars perhaps don’t understand well the damage that certain forms of development do to humanity. It’s for this that I love Africa, because Africa has been a victim of other powers.”

When the Pope was asked what he found memorable from his visit, he could not hide his profound impression about the vigor and hospitality he felt: “The crowds. That joy. That capacity to celebrate on an empty stomach. But for me, Africa was a surprise. I thought, God surprises us, but even Africa surprises us. There were many moments. But the crowds. They felt visited. They have a very great sense of welcome.” This sort of exuberance that crowds demonstrated in Kenya, Uganda and Central African Republic is what has kept Africans cheerful and optimistic amidst conflict and deprivation. If this kind of optimism was a resource, Africa would be the richest continent on earth. Some innovators could turn this into a form of “cultural tourism.”

WHAT NEXT AFTER THE POPE’S VISIT? A NEW GLOBAL COMPACT

The Pope’s visit was not just about Africa. The Pope used Africa as a platform to air his views of global concern to whoever cared to listen, especially the global policy makers. The Pope was basically pleading the cause of Africa before the international community, but also assuring the ordinary African people that he is on their side. The Pope’s challenge goes both to the local and international leaders to take Africa seriously and address its pressing needs of marginalization, insecurity, sectarianism, and inequality amidst plenty. These issues cannot be addressed without a global compact of sorts.

This is why the Pope’s visit to Africa coming after the much-talked about Sustainable Development Goals, makes sense. The visit also came shortly before the beginning of the Climate Change Summit in Paris. No global leader has championed the cause of the care for the environment more than Pope Francis. His much celebrated encyclical Laudato si has been widely accepted as a valid critique of economic policies and lifestyles that have led to the wanton destruction of the environment.

The Pope’s visit to Africa took place amidst heightened anxiety on the war on terror. Russians bombs have been raining over Syria in an attempt to destroy ISIS. Tensions between Turkey and Russia have escalated. More than ever, there is need for global governance to avert a global political and security crisis. But the major challenge facing global governance framework is the democratic deficit at the global level. Calls for reforming the UN system so as to make it more inclusive and participatory have fallen on deaf ears. The self-help model of initiative of a few powerful nations to try to salvage the fragile international system is not going to help fix enormous global challenges.

A new global compact is needed. And probably this is where Pope Francis’s unique voice comes handy as a global leader in his own right. He clearly represents the voice of global non-state actors who have been clamoring for a just global order with global civil society taking a major role in addressing global security, global poverty and global governance issues. Other scholars have termed this sort of project cosmopolitics—and they are right. This cosmopolitical theory claims that the democratic framework we have at the level of the nation-state should be taken to the global level, as the only sure strategy to address global challenges that transcend nation-state.

For the global compact to succeed under the cosmopolitan model, there is need to embrace “soft power” instead of militarism and cold economic calculations. It is an approach the Pope Francis espouses: dialogue, tolerance, mutual respect, and care for the common good, with special emphasis on the most vulnerable and excluded. This is the worldview and style that he championed throughout his visit on the African continent. Pope’s Francis’ global vision of humanity was expressed in an answer to the question put to him on whether religious leaders should get involved in politics. He stressed the role of values: “And one of the greatest values is the fraternity among us. We are all children of God. We have the same father. In this sense, we have to make politics of unity, reconciliation.”

* Odomaro Mubangizi (PhD) teaches philosophy and theology and is Dean of Philosophy Department at the Institute of Philosophy and Theology in Addis Ababa. He is also Editor of Justice, Peace and Environment Bulletin.

* THE VIEWS OF THE ABOVE ARTICLE ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE PAMBAZUKA NEWS EDITORIAL TEAM

* BROUGHT TO YOU BY PAMBAZUKA NEWS

* Please do not take Pambazuka for granted! Become a Friend of Pambazuka and make a donation NOW to help keep Pambazuka FREE and INDEPENDENT!

* Please send comments to editor[at]pambazuka[dot]org or comment online at Pambazuka News.