President Paul Kagame, Pope Francis and First Lady Jeannette Kagame during the previous visit to Vatican.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo has said that Rwanda is awaiting for a response from the Pope following a recent invitation sent by President Paul Kagame requesting him (Pope Francis) to visit Rwanda.
Mushikiwabo who was presenting the MINAFET 2017/2018 budget draft, was also responding to questions raised by Members of Parliament on whether Pope accepted the invitation.
“Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs, I would like to know whether Pope agreed to visit Rwanda. It would be a good act. Would you mind sharing with us the progress,” asked the chairperson of parliamentary Standing Committee on Budget and National Patrimony, Mukayuhi Rwaka Constance.
In response, Minister Mushikiwabo said that president Kagame invited Pope but has not yet responded.
“The president of the Republic asked him to visit us in Rwanda and sent an invitation letter following our visit to Vatican. They have not yet replied but we also await for the newly appointed Papal Nuncio in Kigali. He will arrive here in June 2017. It will help us to hold on talks with Vatican through its embassy in Kigali,” she said.
The invitation to Pope to visit Rwanda followed the visit of President Kagame to Vatican in March 2017 where Pope Francis apologized on behalf of the Catholic Church involvement in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
