On Monday 8 February the Order of Malta’s Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing arrived in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for an official visit to the leading authorities and to the Order’s numerous medical and welfare projects. Welcomed at Kinshasa airport by the Foreign Minister Alexis Tambwe Mwamba, this is the first time a Grand Master has visited the African country with which the Order has had diplomatic relations since 1984.
‘I wanted to make this journey to Africa,’ the Grand Master said, ‘to emphasize the importance of this continent for the Order of Malta, where we are active in 35 countries with a wide range of medical and humanitarian services. ‘My visit,’ he added, ‘testifies to the great significance of the Order’s work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in which our health and welfare services are concentrated.’
The day after his arrival the Grand Master, accompanied by the Grand Hospitaller Albrecht Boeselager, was received by Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito, to whom he confirmed the Order’s desire to continue supporting the government’s efforts with projects, human resources, equipment and funds for the public health sector.
The Grand Master then had talks with the President of the Senate Léon Kengo wa Dondo and the President of the National Assembly Evariste Boshab. Stressed during these meetings was the significance of this visit during the country’s celebrations for its 50th anniversary of independence from Belgium. ‘Our country’s needs are enormous,’ stated the President of the Senate, ‘and we rely on the Order of Malta to continue its humanitarian efforts to assist the population under these difficult conditions.’
During the cordial talks, the Grand Master recalled the Order’s main operations since 1984, first in the north and then in the east, in aid of the population afflicted by endless wars and, in recent years, by the atrocious violence carried out on women and children.
On the World Day of the Sick , the Grand Master visited the ‘Roi Baudouin’ hospital, recently renovated by the Order’s Belgian Association, and the health centre with orphanage run by the nuns of the Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, before being received by the archbishop of Kinshasa Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya.
During the meeting with representatives of the Congolese Episcopal Conference, the Order of Malta’s ambassador in Kinshasa, Jeoffroy de Liedekerke, was praised for the embassy’s long-standing support of the humanitarian and social-health activities of the numerous Catholic congregations operating in the country.
During their time in Kinshasa, the Grand Master and his delegation had meetings and discussions with numerous ambassadors and also met Leila Zerrougui, Deputy Head of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC).
Fra’ Matthew Festing then spent some days in Bukavu, in the eastern part of the country, where he visited the many projects run by the Order of Malta and Malteser International in the south Kivu region.
