Pope To Visit Angola In March On First Africa Trip

Pope Benedict will visit Angola's capital Luanda between March 20 and 23, during his first trip to Africa as pontiff, a spokesman for country's foreign ministry said on Thursday.

Sub-Saharan Africa is a rich recruiting ground for the Catholic Church, with an estimated 140 million people, or one out of six Africans, claiming to be followers.

Between 60 and 70 percent of Angolans are Catholics, and the country is home to Mama Muxima, a major pilgrimage site.

"The dates of the pope's visit are now officially confirmed," said spokesman Abreu Breganha. "We have begun mobilising people and expect thousands of Angolans from the countryside to come to the city to attend mass with the pope."

A public mass is scheduled for March 22, Breganha added.

Benedict announced the African tour at a synod of bishops in October, but did not provide the dates.

He said he would first travel to Cameroon to deliver the working document of a future synod whose theme will be Africa, and then to Angola to celebrate 500 years of evangelisation in the former Portuguese colony.

Benedict's predecessor, John Paul II, travelled widely on the continent during his more than 26 years as pontiff. He visited Angola in 1992, one year after the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union. Angola had been a Soviet ally.

The southwest African nation is recovering from a 27-year civil war that claimed over half a million lives and ended in 2002.