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Pope Francis to start first day in Uganda with Mass for martyrs

By Don Melvin, CNN
Updated 0554 GMT (1354 HKT) November 29, 2015
Pope celebrates historic Mass in Kenya

Pope celebrates historic Mass in Kenya

Story highlights

  • Central Africa Republic may be most dangerous place visited by a modern pope
  • Pope had private meeting with President of South Sudan
What issues would you like Pope Francis to tackle in Africa? Tell us using the hashtag #MessageToThePope.
(CNN)Pope Francis begins his first full day in Uganda on Saturday -- a country whose legal stance against homosexuality does not mirror his message of tolerance.
On homosexuality: Uganda's religious leaders
Francis began, unsurprisingly, on a positive note.
"The world is witnessing an unprecedented migration of peoples," he tweeted. "I want to thank Uganda for its generosity in welcoming refugees."
Ugandans are expected to gather at a shrine Saturday, where Pope Francis will celebrate Mass for martyrs killed in the l800s for refusing to renounce their faith
    In addition, the Pope met privately Friday with Salva Kiir, the president ofSouth Sudan, according to Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi.
    Lombardi said the visit was arranged by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
    Anti-west and anti-gay: How Yoweri Museveni played to his audience
    South Sudan is the world's youngest country, having gained independence in 2011, and it has been wracked by internal conflict for much of its brief existence.
    Pope faces challenges in Uganda, where gays are under attack

    After Uganda, the dangers of the Central African Republic

    On Sunday, Francis will travel to the Central African Republic, whereMuslim and Christian militias are slaughtering one another, making it probably the most dangerous country a Pope has visited in modern memory. It is also one of the poorest countries in the world, and a place where Francis' message of uplifting the poor will resonate.
    The Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries in the world.
    The Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries in the world.
    In the Central African Republic, a Muslim rebel group overthrew the Christian president two years ago, prompting brutal retaliatory attacks between Christian and Muslim militias.
    Those attacks continue, and have displaced hundreds of thousands of people. 
    The Pope plans to visit a mosque in the country, sending a powerful message of religious unity.

    'The dreadful injustice of social exclusion'

    That visit will by no means be the Pope's first encounter with the less fortunate on his African trip. .
    On Friday, he waded into the heart of a Kenyan shantytown, spreading a message of acceptance and lashing out at the elite for neglecting the poor.
    In the sprawling slum filled with tin-roofed homes, he described injustices against the less fortunate as "new forms of colonialism."
    Pope visit: Is Africa the future of Catholicism?
    The "dreadful injustice of social exclusion" leaves the poor with an unfair distribution of land, lack of access to infrastructure and minimal basic services, he said.
    "Our world has a grave social debt toward the poor who lack access to drinking water because they are denied a life consistent with their inalienable dignity," the Pope said.

    'Your visit gives us courage'

    Kangemi residents applauded his focus on the downtrodden.
    "Sometimes challenges in slums almost cause us to despair and some people give up working in slums," said Sister Mari Killeen, who works with the less fortunate.
    Most schools border poor communities. Killeen says land issues are a constant battle and school land is often encroached upon by developers. "The minute corruption goes up, poverty increases," she said. "Among the poor, you see an immediate effect."
    8 photos: Mother Teresa of Kenya: 'I'm not that fond of religions'
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    5 of 8
    Killeen helped found Songa Mbele, a school that cares for kids with disabilities. The mother of Zain Modeitsi, seen here, used to have to leave him at home alone in order to work.
    8 photos: Mother Teresa of Kenya: 'I'm not that fond of religions'
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    6 of 8
    Killeen assists in a physical therapy session for Zain, a 10-year-old who has severe cerebral palsy. "I've seen children walking who couldn't walk," Killeen said. "I've seen the deaf get help, and a little dumb child here who hasn't spoken yet but with help hopefully the child will speak. So it's like the gospel. You see the lame walk, the blind see, the dumb speak. So it's really wonderful to be part of that and to enable it. But we aren't doing as much as we should. It's a drop in the ocean."
    8 photos: Mother Teresa of Kenya: 'I'm not that fond of religions'
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    7 of 8
    "Religions, I'm not all that fond of them," Killeen said. "Religion is a way to help you reach love, understanding. You can call that God if you want. I'm not for piety, I'm for religion in action."
    8 photos: Mother Teresa of Kenya: 'I'm not that fond of religions'
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    Sister Mary Killeen, right, has been working in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, for nearly 40 years. On Friday, she'll be addressing Pope Francis, who is on his first visit to the continent.
    8 photos: Mother Teresa of Kenya: 'I'm not that fond of religions'
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    Killeen arrived from Ireland in 1976. In her early days, she said, close to half of Kenyan children were out of school -- and in parts of the city street children would sometimes steal people's clothes. "One day a group of these children approached me," Killeen said. But rather than steal from her as she anticipated, they asked her if she could help get their siblings into school. "They said, 'We're already thieves, but we don't want our siblings to have the same life that we had.' "
    8 photos: Mother Teresa of Kenya: 'I'm not that fond of religions'
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    Since then, Killeen has developed dozens of educational programs and schools. She estimates she's assisted in the education of 300,000 children over the years.
    8 photos: Mother Teresa of Kenya: 'I'm not that fond of religions'
    Show Caption
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    "I can't walk any part of the city without meeting a past pupil," Killeen said. "Driving a car, in an office, as a manager somewhere, on the TV -- I turn on the TV and I see a past pupil from Nakuru giving out the news. It's very, very fulfilling work."
    8 photos: Mother Teresa of Kenya: 'I'm not that fond of religions'
    Show Caption
    4 of 8
    Most schools border poor communities. Killeen says land issues are a constant battle and school land is often encroached upon by developers. "The minute corruption goes up, poverty increases," she said. "Among the poor, you see an immediate effect."
    8 photos: Mother Teresa of Kenya: 'I'm not that fond of religions'
    Show Caption
    5 of 8
    Killeen helped found Songa Mbele, a school that cares for kids with disabilities. The mother of Zain Modeitsi, seen here, used to have to leave him at home alone in order to work.
    8 photos: Mother Teresa of Kenya: 'I'm not that fond of religions'
    Show Caption
    6 of 8
    Killeen assists in a physical therapy session for Zain, a 10-year-old who has severe cerebral palsy. "I've seen children walking who couldn't walk," Killeen said. "I've seen the deaf get help, and a little dumb child here who hasn't spoken yet but with help hopefully the child will speak. So it's like the gospel. You see the lame walk, the blind see, the dumb speak. So it's really wonderful to be part of that and to enable it. But we aren't doing as much as we should. It's a drop in the ocean."
    8 photos: Mother Teresa of Kenya: 'I'm not that fond of religions'
    Show Caption
    7 of 8
    "Religions, I'm not all that fond of them," Killeen said. "Religion is a way to help you reach love, understanding. You can call that God if you want. I'm not for piety, I'm for religion in action."
    8 photos: Mother Teresa of Kenya: 'I'm not that fond of religions'
    Show Caption
    8 of 8
    Sister Mary Killeen, right, has been working in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, for nearly 40 years. On Friday, she'll be addressing Pope Francis, who is on his first visit to the continent.
    8 photos: Mother Teresa of Kenya: 'I'm not that fond of religions'
    Show Caption
    1 of 8
    Killeen arrived from Ireland in 1976. In her early days, she said, close to half of Kenyan children were out of school -- and in parts of the city street children would sometimes steal people's clothes. "One day a group of these children approached me," Killeen said. But rather than steal from her as she anticipated, they asked her if she could help get their siblings into school. "They said, 'We're already thieves, but we don't want our siblings to have the same life that we had.' "
    8 photos: Mother Teresa of Kenya: 'I'm not that fond of religions'
    Show Caption
    2 of 8
    Since then, Killeen has developed dozens of educational programs and schools. She estimates she's assisted in the education of 300,000 children over the years.
    8 photos: Mother Teresa of Kenya: 'I'm not that fond of religions'
    Show Caption
    3 of 8
    "I can't walk any part of the city without meeting a past pupil," Killeen said. "Driving a car, in an office, as a manager somewhere, on the TV -- I turn on the TV and I see a past pupil from Nakuru giving out the news. It's very, very fulfilling work."
    8 photos: Mother Teresa of Kenya: 'I'm not that fond of religions'
    Show Caption
    4 of 8
    "Your visit gives us courage. By coming here, you shine a light on the challenges. Your meeting with us gives us dignity."
    Pope Francis delivers stern warning ahead of climate conference
    The presence of an international figure in their backyard drew some residents closer to the church.
    "He has restored my faith. I have a role model and will practice his humility," said Regina Kimende, who came from a neighboring parish. "After seeing him today, I have decided my life is at the church. I'm starting all over."

    Pope: Corruption eats you

    Francis' last day in Kenya included meeting with youths at a Nairobi sports center, where he also held talks with bishops.
    During his meeting with the youths, he addressed corruption, which is rampant in Kenya and has made headlines recently.
    "It's not just in politics. It is in all institutions, including in the Vatican there are cases of corruption," he said.
    Pope in Africa: Send us your #MessageToThePope
    "Corruption is something that eats you inside like sugar. It's sweet, we like it, it's easy. And then we end up sick and poor. So much sugar that we either end up being diabetic or own country ends up being diabetic."
    He also called for equal distribution of wealth to ensure the disenfranchised are not at risk of getting radicalized.

    First papal trip to Africa

    Nun helps Nairobi's poorest citizens
    Nun helps Nairobi's poorest citizens 02:48
    Francis' first papal trip to Africa started in Kenya on Wednesday, and has addressed other issues such as climate change and poaching.
    He delivered a warning Thursday ahead of a climate change conference next week in Paris. He urged nations to reach an agreement to curb fossil fuel emissions, and to work together to find solutions to environmental degradation.
    "It would be sad, and I dare say even catastrophic, were particular interests to prevail over the common good," the Pope said.
    But it was his comments on the pillaging of African resources that drew a louder response.
    He urged Africans to demand an end to poaching, which "fuels political instability, organized crime and terrorism." The message reverberated with a nation where farming and tourism are a crucial part of the economy.
    Pope's visit highlights explosive growth of Catholic Church in Africa
    Francis' predecessor, Pope Benedict, visited several countries in Africa. During his nearly three decades in the papacy, Pope John Paul II also made dozens of trips to the continent.  
    Museveni signed into law last year abill that toughens penalties against gay people in Uganda and defines some homosexual acts as crimes punishable by life in prison.
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