Francis spent the final day of his week-long trip to Africa in the Mauritian capital Port Louis, celebrating mass before an estimated 100,000 people and meeting with government leaders.
The trip fell on the feast day of one of Mauritius’ most important figures, the 19th century French missionary the Reverend Jacques-Desire Laval, who ministered to freed slaves.
While Catholics represent less than a third of Mauritius’ 1.3 million people, Father Laval is seen as a unifying figure for all Mauritians, most of whom are Hindu of Indian descent.
Francis’ visit also came just months after Mauritius scored a major victory at the UN, with a non-binding resolution calling on Britain to return the Chagos Islands, home to the US military base at Diego Garcia, to Mauritius.
Mauritian leaders thanked Francis for the Vatican’s “moral support” in the dispute.
In his speech to government authorities, Francis praised the ethnic and religious tolerance that has long characterised Mauritian history, which saw a series of European powers, Dutch, French and finally British, import African and Indian labourers to work the sugarcane fields before the country gained independence in 1968.
Faithful wave palm leaves as Pope Francis arrives to celebrate Mass at the Monument Mary Queen of Peace, in Port Louis, Mauritius, Monday, Sept. 9,…
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