Pope to embark on Africa tour in early 2023

Pope Francis will visit the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan early next year, a trip previously postponed due to problems with his knee, the Vatican said on December 1.

The 85-year-old pontiff will visit Kinshasa during his trip to DRC from January 31 to February 3, France 24 reports.

He will then be joined by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields, in heading to Juba in South Sudan from February 3-5.

It will be the pontiff's fifth visit to the African continent since being elected head of the worldwide Catholic church in 2013.

The pope's trip to the two countries, both plagued by violence, had initially been planned for July this year.

It was postponed "at the request of his doctors", the Vatican said at the time, as the pope underwent treatment for knee pain.

There had also been concerns about security on the trip, according to Italian media reports.