The following is the video message of greetings and thanks sent by the Holy Father Francis to the people of Mozambique for his upcoming Apostolic Trip, to take place from 4 to 6 September, upon invitation from the country’s highest authorities:

Video Message of the Holy Father

Dear people of Mozambique!

In a few days’ time my visit to your country will begin, and although I will be unable to travel beyond the capital, my heart reaches out and embraces you all, with a special place for those who live in difficulty. I want to assure you now that you are all in my prayers. I look forward to the moment when we will meet.

Just as I received (with gratitude) the invitation of the president and my fellow bishops to come to you, I extend my invitation to all of you to join in my prayer that the God and Father of all consolidate reconciliation and fraternal reconciliation in Mozambique and throughout Africa, the only hope for stable and lasting peace.

I will have the joy of sharing these convictions with you directly, and also of seeing how the seeds sowed by my predecessor Saint John Paul II are growing. The trip will enable me to encounter the Catholic community and to confirm it in its witness of the Gospel, which teaches the dignity of every man and woman and asks that we open our hearts to others, especially the poor and those in need.

Dear brothers and sisters, I know that many of you are working to prepare for my visit, also by offering your prayers, and I thank you very much. Upon you and your country I invoke God’s blessings and the protection of our Mother, the Virgin Mary. See you soon!