YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – After his death, the Church in Africa has said Pope Francis has played a special role for Catholics on the continent.

As the Church awaits the beginning  of the Conclave on May 7, many Africans are hoping a cardinal from their region might become the Bishop of Rome.

As the Catholics in Africa pray, two iconic images of Francis remain etched in their hearts of Africans for generations.

The first enduring image was captured on April 11, 2019. At the close of a two-day retreat in the Vatican for South Sudan’s rival political leaders, the pope asked South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar to proceed with the peace agreement despite growing difficulties. Then he got down on his knees and kissed the feet of the two leaders one by one.

“To the three of you who have signed the peace agreement, I ask you as a brother: Stay in peace,” Francis told the leaders of the impoverished African country.

“I am asking you with my heart. Let us go forward. There will be many problems, but they will not overcome us. Go ahead, go forward, and resolve the problems. You have begun a process. May it end well,” the pope said.

“There will be struggles and disagreements amongst you but let this be within the community – inside the office, as it were – but in front of the people, hold hands, united; so as simple citizens you will become fathers of the nation,” he added.

The photo of that incident was posted on the Facebook page of Azande Television early Sunday April 21 –the same morning the pope died, accompanied by a simple message: “We pray that all his efforts to see South Sudan in peace will be realized.”

That image and the accompanying message sparked a free-flow of emotions. One follower identifying as Thomas Kenya said it was “a moment the world should never forget.”

He described it as “a powerful and humbling act of love, pleading with them to embrace peace and unity for the sake of their suffering people. This was not just a gesture—it was a cry from the heart of God’s servant. To the leaders of South Sudan: If you continue to ignore this plea from the Holy Father, God’s representative on earth, know that you are inviting His judgment. He knelt before you, not in weakness, but in the strength of Christ’s call for reconciliation. May you remember that moment. May it pierce your hearts. And may you finally choose the path of peace, for the sake of your people and before the eyes of God.”

Another follower, Orancet Mwangala, said it was “touching.”

“South Sudan leadership should honor the late Pope by restoring peace to their country.”

A third follower, Austin Chika Obichere urged Salva Kiir and Riek Machar to “shield their swords now for sustainable peace in South Sudan.”

In a moving tribute to the late pope, Kiir remembered the day the Pope kissed his feet.

“It goes without saying that South Sudan had a special spot in the heart of His Holiness, Pope Francis,” Kiir said in his April 21 tribute to the late pontiff.

“His act of kindness and humility demonstrated during our visit to Rome in 2019, when he knelt down to kiss our feet was a turning point for us, the peace partners,” he said.

Francis later visited South Sudan in February 2023 with the same message of peace.

“In the name of God, of the God to whom we prayed together in Rome, of the God who is gentle and humble in heart, the God in whom so many people of this beloved country believe, now is the time to say ‘No more of this,’ we say no more, without ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’,” Pope Francis said in his address to Kiir and the country’s other political leaders in Juba, the capital city of South Sudan on the first day of that visit.

“No more bloodshed,” the pontiff implored, adding, “No more conflicts, no more violence and mutual recriminations about who is responsible for it; no more leaving your people a thirst for peace.”

Yet, the country has remained sorely divided, with renewed fighting sparked by the arrest of political figures, including vice President Riek Machar by the Kiir administration.

Still, Kiir believes that with the pope’s closeness and prayers, peace is still possible in South Sudan.

“His efforts to promote peace in our country have left an indelible mark in the history of our country,” he said in his tribute to the late pontiff.

“His Holiness’ prayers and encouragement sustained our determination to continue with implementation of the peace agreement despite the challenges. He did not stop at that; he would always reach out and remind us of the importance of peace whenever we deviated,” the president recalled.

The second image that speaks to Francis’s commitment to peace and poverty alleviation in war-ravaged Africa was when he opened the Holy Door in the Notre Dame Cathedral in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic on November 29, 2015. It was in anticipation of the beginning of the Extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy, which was to begin officially on December 8, 2015.

“Today Bangui becomes the spiritual capital of the world,” the pope said.

“The Holy Year of Mercy comes ahead of time to this country-a country that has suffered for many years from war and hatred, from misunderstanding and lack of peace. But this suffering country also includes all those countries that bear the cross of war. Bangui will be the spiritual capital of prayer for the mercy of the Father. We all ask for peace, mercy, reconciliation, forgiveness, love. For Bangui, for the entire Central African Republic, for the whole world, for the countries suffering from war, we ask for peace!” Francis said.