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Pope Wraps Up 3-Day, 3-Theme Tour in Mozambique

Anita Powell

   MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE - Three words resonated like a refrain during Pope
   Francis' tour of Mozambique this week: hope, peace and reconciliation.
   Tens of thousands of faithful from across the continent packed a
   stadium Friday to hear that message and take it with them.
   Neither driving rain nor biting cold nor immense distances kept50,000
   peoplefrom packingthestadium outside Maputo to receive the blessing of
   the leader of the Catholic Church.The Mass was the pope'sfinal
   blessingin Mozambiquebefore he proceeded to Madagascar, the second stop
   on his Africa tour.
   Itwasa whirlwind three days for the pope in Mozambique, packed with
   issues that straddled faith and politics. He was greeted Wednesday
   night by President FilipeNyusi, who is running for re-election in
   October in a campaign that is already shaping up to be a rough one.
   The pope's main theme was reconciliation, after leadersin the
   countryrecently signed a peace deal aimed at ending decades of
   low-level conflict that followed a brutal16-year civil war.
   The pontiff also met with HIV and AIDS patients at a church-run
   hospital outside Maputo. He also touched on the effects of climate
   change.

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