Pope in Kenya: what the papers are saying

Pope in Kenya: what the papers are saying

(Vatican Radio)  There are lots of interesting tidbits of news in the Kenyan media today, Wednesday 25 November. Of course big colour photographs of the Pope grace the covers of the newspapers that all shout out “Welcome”  – “Karibu” to Kenya Pope Francis.

Listen to Linda Bordoni's report from Nairobi, Kenya:

They also all contain useful information for city dwellers and pilgrims with detailed information on road closures, advice on how to deal with the traffic as well as providing the detailed programme of scheduled Papal events.

But there is much more than that because Kenya journalists, I see, have done their homework well . From “The Standard” to the “Daily Nation” and to the big spreads in the “Business Daily”, they are all providing a wealth of precious information - that I, for a start - will definitely take home with me for future reference when I leave!

Every one of them offer great full-colour pull-outs with well-researched articles regarding Pope Francis’ personal story and his origins, about Vatican City State, the Vatican Bank, the history of the Papacy, the significance of Papal vestments and symbols, and about how Francis is “the humble Pope who wears a plastic watch and simple loafers”.

“The Standard” (subtitled “Kenya’s Bold Newspaper) has a front page story about the excitement and joy of Kenyans as they await the Pope’s arrival side by side with a story on how the President has just dismissed five Cabinet Ministers over corruption claims. The choice is clearly not incidental.

The “Daily Nation” also talks about the Cabinet reshuffle and about how the Government has chosen this very moment to really crack down on graft. And it has a beautiful description of Pope Francis: “easily – it says - the world’s most loved leader, honoured for shunning the princely trappings of the papacy in favour of humility and love arrives in Kenya today for his maiden trip to Africa”.

Personally, (amazingly for me) I found the “Business Daily” particularly interesting with its specific focus on how the Papal tour is timely in the push for a sustainable use of resources; on how businesses face economic losses as traders close shop for the Public Holiday tomorrow in honour of the Pontiff’s visit; and with its interesting special pull-out on “the Pope who slammed trickle-down economics in defense of the world’s poor” and  on how this visit by the Pope “who – it says - is an advocate of radical change in the global economic order” may impact the World Trade Organisation’s ministerial conference – the powerful organ that makes the rules of global trade -  that will significantly be held in Nairobi next month – the first time ever in its history an African nation has been chosen to be host.

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