Pope Francis is set to leave DRC capital Kinshasa for Juba this afternoon. (Courtesy).

Pope Francis and his accompanying delegation will visit South Sudan’s capital Juba on February 3, and commit themselves to two days of busy schedules marked by prayers, meeting displaced persons and the country’s leaders.

The Holy See will leave the DRC capital Kinshasa on the morning of February 3 and land at Juba Airport at 3 PM, in what would be the first-ever visit of a pope to the world’s newest nation.

Francis, 86, is coming with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Moderator-General of Scotland, the Right Rev Dr. Iain Greenshields.

During a press briefing on Friday, Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth said the government has declared February 3rd and the two days of the pope’s stay as a public holiday.

“It is worth mentioning that this visit is very important and as such the cabinet resolves that Friday, the 3rd of February will be a public holiday so that people can go and receive his holiness and the other two who are coming.”

“However, people are advised to be normal and not to cause chaos but everybody of course will be expecting to see the pope.”

Program schedule

On February 3, the pontiff will arrive in Juba in the afternoon with the Archbishop and the Moderator-General, and proceed to the office of the president to meet top government officials and diplomats.

From there, Pope Francis will greet the dignitaries including President Salva Kiir, his deputies and foreign ambassadors.

He will then retire to his Vatican residence while his accompanying delegation will be taken to Raddison Blu hotel late in the afternoon.

On February 4, the faith leaders will attend prayers in their respective denominations. The Pope will pray at Saint Theresa in Kator, the Archbishop of Canterbury will go to pray at All Saints Cathedral and the Moderator-General will go to the Presbyterian Church in Jebel.

After the morning prayers, they will meet internally displaced persons at Freedom Hall in the afternoon, before moving to Dr. John Garang Mausoleum for public prayers at 6 PM.

This is where tens of thousands of people are expected to gather for a glimpse of the Holy See.

“There will be light of course, and everybody is expected to come at 6 PM. After these prayers, they will go to their residences to rest,” says Minister Makuei.

On February 5, in the morning, people will also be assembling at the Mausoleum for a final mass, and after the mass, Pope Francis, together with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator-General of the Church of Scotland will be depart South Sudan.

“So that is the program, and it is hoped that our people will not cause chaos, because of course everybody will be hoping to see the pope,” Makuei advised.

“But it will be organized and even the pope will be moving in a small car in the compound and will be moving around to see the people. These places will be organized well so that everybody will be in a position to see the pope. So, we are hopeful that the visit will bring peace to South Sudan.”