100,000 Expected to Greet Pope at Mass in Cameroon

The last time Pope Benedict stepped foot on African soil was in 1987 as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. He returns as the successor of St. Peter.

WASHINGTON (Catholic Online) - Tuesday Pope Benedict XVI began his historic trip to Africa, the fastest growing region in the world for the Roman Catholic Church. His first stop will be in Yaounde, Cameroon, where later this week over 100,000 faithful will gather for a public mass.

The trip is a precursor to the Synod of African Bishops which is schedule for October in Rome. The synod's working document will be made public on March 19, the day he meets with the Synod's planners.

The rigorous six-day trip will include time with Africa's bishops, a visit to a center for the disabled in Cameroon and an open-air meeting with youth in Angola. He will also be meeting with other religious and political leaders from the continent.

The pope will also offer Mass for pastoral workers and meet with Catholic movements who are flourishing in Africa and throughout the world. He, like his predecessor the Servant of God John Paul II, is a promoter of the movements as a genuine and vital work of the Holy Spirit in this new missionary age.

"Pope Benedict XVI is a charismatic leader, a holy man who is coming to make my faith deeper," said Augustine Meh Zang, 55, a Yaounde businessman, told NBC News. "He will help Cameroon as a whole look for God. We as a people have erred and sinned too much."

On Thursday morning, a public Mass will be held in Amadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde. This service will mark the publication of the working document for the Second Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for Africa. Organizers expect over 100,000 Catholics to be present for the open-air event.

Following the Mass, Pope Benedict will visit the Cardinal Paul Emile Leger Center, the National Center for the Rehabilitation of the Handicapped.

On Friday, he will depart Cameroon for Angola, where he will spend the remainder of his visit. There, the pope will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the country's evangelization. Highlights of the Angola schedule include a Mass with bishops, priests, men and women religious, members of church movements and catechists of Angola and Sao Tome in St. Paul Church of Luanda on Saturday morning followed by a meeting with young people in Coqueiros Stadium.

On Sunday afternoon, the pontiff will host a meeting with members of Catholic movements for the promotion of women.

Pope Benedict has only visited Africa one other time, in 1987 as a Cardinal. The spotlight will especially be focused on his meetings with political leaders in both countries, where accusations of corruption regarding oil revenues are rampant.

----

Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'