Pope Francis will visit the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan early next year from January 31 to February 3, before heading to Juba in South Sudan from February 3 to 5.

The 85-year-old pontiff will be joined by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields.

It will be the pontiff’s fifth visit to the African continent since being elected head of the worldwide Catholic church in 2013.

The trip was initially planned for July this year but was postponed “at the request of his doctors”, the Vatican said at the time, as the pope underwent treatment for knee pain.

There had also been concerns about security in visiting two countries plagued by violence, according to Italian media reports.

South Sudan, the world’s newest nation, has suffered from chronic instability since its independence in 2011, including a brutal five-year civil war.

The Vatican has been directly involved in efforts to end the conflict, with Pope Francis himself kissing the feet of rival leaders Salva Kiir and Riek Machar in an extraordinary moment in 2019.

It was at the same retreat that he agreed to go to South Sudan with the archbishop and the moderator.

The Church of Scotland said that during the visit to Juba, the three men would “meet local church representatives, civil war victims living in a displaced person camp and lead a large open-air prayer vigil for peace”.

“The purpose of the visit is to renew a commitment to peace and reconciliation and stand in solidarity with millions of ordinary people who are suffering profoundly from continued armed conflict, violence, floods and famine,” it said.

Archbishop of Canterbury Welby said the three religious leaders “share a deep desire to stand in solidarity with the people of South Sudan”.

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