Pope Francis to visit Africa: 'How do you reconcile mercy and war?'

Pope Francis must face a country deeply rooted in traditions and societal norms that defy the Catholic Church's teachings.

Pope Francis is set to tour three African countries -Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic - November 25-30. Pope Francis is expected to address the secular lifestyle, competing Christian faiths and violence on the continent.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - As Catholicism grows in Africa, so do the dangers posed by terrorist group Boko Haram, which has surpassed ISIS in the number of terrorist-related deaths in the world.

One of the key topics Pope Francis is expected to speak about are the terror attacks that hit Paris earlier this month. Boko Haram, a terrorist group running rampant in Africa, is responsible for the deaths of over 6,000 people and continues to rape, pillage and murder their way through villages and towns.

In April, Islamic State militant group al-Shabab attacked and killed nearly 150 Christian students at a Kenyan college. Pope Francis is expected to speak of both groups and reach out to "people who are afraid, who have been terrorized, who have been subjected to a lot of security checkpoints and all that," Reverend Stephen Okello said.

Okello, a Kenyan Catholic priest, added, "Kenyans really need that reconciliation ... [The pontiff's reach] might be a message that is good for the whole of Africa."

Jo-Renee Formicola, a political science professor at Seton Hall University, believes Pope Francis will ask that people "rise above their humanity" by refusing themselves to allow their hearts to harden against the atrocities spreading across their nation. "How do you reconcile mercy and war?" he added.

Extremist organizations, poverty and a deep rift between Christians and Muslims pose serious problems for the Catholic church, as well as some priests choosing to leave the church rather than practicing celibacy. 

Despite these issues, Africa still serves as a perfect breeding ground for the Catholic Church. 
African Catholics increased from seven to 16 percent between 1980 and 2012, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. The population growth and continued growing life expectancy is expected to double the number of African Catholics to 460.4 million by 2014.

Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze wrote "The church has the task of reinforcing the conviction that monogamy is the way forward" in the preface to Christ's New Homeland -Africa. Bishop Barthelemy Adoukonou added a chapter, in which he wrote Christianity was being challenged "not only by a radical, militant Islamism, but also by a certain Western civilization that is secularist, hedonist, sensualist, and consumerist."

Many African Catholics struggle with traditional and cultural norms that are direct violations of Pope Francis' teachings, such as the view of homosexuality. In several African countries, homosexuals are greatly discriminated against and there are few instances of tolerance.

Monsignor Abel Gabuza believes Pope Francis will speak against "ideological colonization," which refers to the provision of contraception in developing countries, and hopes the pontiff will add a message promoting the aid of the less fortunate.

Gabuza said, "You look at how Africa has been looked down upon and how, even today, we still suffer the consequences of colonialism, racism and so many other things. The pope, the message that he brings across is to say, 'You Africans are also equally important."

Okello added, "We know his style is not one of condemning and he's somebody who is very compassionate. He wants you to understand how not to do things by not doing things himself."

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