Vatican City, Aug 30, 2019 / 08:38 am
Days ahead of his trip to three Eastern African nations, Pope Francis sent a video message to the people of Mozambique, saying his heart embraces them.
Part of Francis' visit to the country's capital city of Maputo Sept. 5-6 will be a stop at the Zimpeto DREAM center, a medical clinic run by the Community of Sant'Egidio, a lay Catholic movement centered on peace and helping the poor.
The Zimpeto DREAM Center, which opened in 2002, is focused on HIV prevention and antiretroviral treatment. According to the Sant'Egidio Community, around 23% of the adult population in Maputo is estimated to have HIV.
The center sits on the outskirts of Maputo, in one of the city's poorest and most populated neighborhoods. Pope Francis will visit the center and greet patients the morning of Sept. 6 before saying Mass in the Zimpeto stadium.