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Francis embarks on one of his boldest trips to date

Pope Francis is set to embark on one of the boldest trips of his pontificate when he travels to sub-Saharan Africa this week for a peace mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. Both countries have suffered from long-running internal conflicts that have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, and both are places where the Church plays a crucial role in working for peace and providing education and health care.