Thousands of people have been celebrating Mass with Pope Francis at a university campus in Kenya.Pope Francis made a plea for traditional values, saying "the health of any society depends on the health of its families".
The Pope earlier urged Kenyans to work for peace and reconciliation on his first trip as pontiff to Africa, amid a rise in militant violence.He arrived in Kenya on Wednesday, the first stop on a three-nation tour.Crowds in the capital, Nairobi, waited in the rain at the University of Nairobi sports ground since the early hours of Thursday morning.
Wearing a robe embroidered to look like beads worn by the Maasai, Pope Francis told them: "Our faith in God's word calls us to support families in their mission in society, to accept children as a blessing for our world, and to defend the dignity of each man and woman, for all of us are brothers and sisters in the one human family.
"He also spoke about abortion and the need for a caring society: "We are also called to resist practices which foster arrogance in men, hurt or demean women, and threaten the life of the innocent unborn."And he appealed to young Kenyans "to shape a society which is ever more just, inclusive and respectful of human dignity".He said they "should reject everything that leads to prejudice and discrimination".
Pope Francis's five-day visit will also see him go to Uganda and Central African Republic, which has been hit by Christian-Muslim conflict.Referring to attacks carried out by the militant Islamist group al-Shabab in Kenya, he said that God's name "must never be used to justify hatred and violence".
Pope Francis's five-day visit will also see him go to Uganda and Central African Republic, which has been hit by Christian-Muslim conflict.Referring to attacks carried out by the militant Islamist group al-Shabab in Kenya, he said that God's name "must never be used to justify hatred and violence".
BBC
