John Paul II: 'An African Pope'

"John Paul II: White and African Pope": this is the title of a book by Jean Baptiste Sourou, a journalist for Vatican Radio. The book pays tribute to the Polish pontiff who made 14 trips to Africa, visiting 42 of 53 countries. These trips allowed the Pope to experience Africa and address its inhabitants."He talked about Africa to the world and talked about the Africa to Africans, like an African would have done. That is why John Paul II, while he is white, really he's an African pope, because he loved Africa. He said to the Africans, 'I believe in you. I love your continent. You have many abilities and it's time for you to take advantage of all these capabilities to develop your Africa and your continent, so that Africa takes off at all levels -- social, economic, religious, etc. That is why John Paul II, well, he is African.”John Paul II became the architect of Africa's reconciliation in an effort to foster real communion on the continent -- a unity that Jean Baptiste Sourou witnessed upon the Holy Father's death.. “When John Paul II died, here in the streets near the Vatican, I met Muslims, people of traditional African religions, Catholics, people from other religions or Christians, people who came here to say thank you to John Paul II – not only thank you, but also crying with those who were praying for John Paul II. This is to say that John Paul II, somewhere, I believe, succeeded in making this meeting. He sought by every means to unite Africans, whether in the north, south, east or west, and all religions. He really wanted this union and fraternity between them.”"John Paul II: White and African Pope” is the second book by Jean Baptiste Sourou. Like his first work "Ecclesia in Africa in light of the spirit of Assisi”, it is available in from the publisher Harmattan.  

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