"We Are All Brothers" – Between War and Mercy, Pope's African Mission Reaches Its Peak

Another day on the road, another "Matthew 25 stop"... but even as those go, this one's truly extraordinary – shortly after his arrival in the Central African Republic this morning, the Pope's visit to a refugee camp, surrounded by UN peacekeeping troops in the war-torn country (arrival at the 5-minute mark):Indeed, the moment was merely the kickoff to this centerpiece day of Francis' first African trek, with the three-nation trip's symbolic high-point to come at a 5pm local (11am ET) Mass in the CAR capital Bangui as the pontiff opens the Holy Door of its cathedral, launching the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy there nine days before its global inauguration in St Peter's. To further emphasize the core of the Holy Year observance, following the Mass Papa Bergoglio will hear an undisclosed number of Confessions from young people as part of a prayer service outside the Bangui cathedral. While Francis' celebration of the sacrament he cites with the greatest frequency – and, indeed, urgency – is a standard part of his visits to Roman parishes, he's only taken up once before in the confessional while on a foreign trip: during the 2013 World Youth Day in Rio, keeping the practice for the mega-event begun by his predecessor.Underscoring the significance of all this, it's hard to recall the last time a Pope's been on the road for the beginning of Advent and its start of the liturgical year... then again, with what's likely to be the most ambitious initiative of his papacy just days away from its start, the "new year" beginning today is just the prelude.-30-