Pope Francis To Visit Uganda, Central African Republic

The head of the Catholic church, Pope Francis will visit Uganda in November this year.

According to the Catholic News Agency, Pope Francis confirmed the visit yesterday, June 12 at the Third World Priests Retreat in Basilica.

"God willing, I will be in Africa in November. In the Central African Republic first and then Uganda," the pope is quoted as answering when asked when he planned to visit Africa.

The trip he said will be "before the presidential transition in the Central African Republic, and Uganda after the 50th anniversary of the martyrs, though a little late."

The first papal visit to Africa was in Uganda (Pope Paul VI in 1969) and that his successor, Pope John Paul II, also came to Uganda in 1993, and now the 'revolutionary' Pope Francis is on his way.

President Museveni visited the Vatican late last year and the issue of a possible papal visit to Uganda was discussed, but no guarantees were made.

Ugandan Catholic faithfuls had hoped that the pope would attend the 50th anniversary celebrations of the canonization of the Uganda martyrs on June 3 this year but this was not possible.

Twenty-two Catholic martyrs were sentenced to death by burning in May 1886 by Kabaka Mwanga for 'disobedience' and were proclaimed saints by Pope Paul VI in St. Peter's Basilica, Rome on October 18, 1964.