September 9, 2019

Tomorrow, September 10, Pope Francis returns to Rome after a six-day apostolic trip to the east African nation of Mozambique and the nearby island nations of Madagascar and Mauritius—the “Three M’s” of the Indian Ocean. Apostolic is another word for papal or having to do with the pope. Throughout the trip, enthusiastic crowds turned out to welcome the pope, who travelled to the three nations as “a pilgrim of peace, hope, and reconciliation.” Francis has been leader of the Roman Catholic Church since 2013.

Pope Francis is concluding a trip to Mozambique, Madagascar, and Mauritius. Credit: © Giulio Napolitano, Shutterstock

On September 4, Francis arrived in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, where about 40 percent of the people are Catholic. (Madagascar and Mauritius have Catholic populations of roughly 30 percent.) On September 5, the pope visited Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi at the Palácio da Ponta Vermelha (Palace of the Red Point), the president’s official residence. Francis then met with civil and religious authorities and members of the diplomatic corps. He hosted an interreligious prayer meeting with young people before paying a private visit to the “Matthew 25″ House, which helps homeless and impoverished children. On September 6, Francis visited Zimpeto Hospital and celebrated Mass before some 60,000 people at Zimpeto Stadium. (Zimpeto is an area of Maputo.) He then departed for Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.

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Maputo is at the southern tip of Mozambique. Madagascar lies across the Mozambique Channel. Credit: WORLD BOOK map

On September 7, Francis visited President Andry Rajoelina at the Iavoloha Palace just outside Antananarivo. Formal meetings then preceded a prayer service at the Monastery of the Discalced Carmelites and a visit to the tomb of the Blessed Victoire Rasoamanarivo (1848-1894), a Malagasy woman who dedicated her life to helping the poor of Madagascar. Pope John Paul II beatified Rasoamanarivo (declared her among the blessed in heaven) in 1989. On Sept. 8, 2019, Pope Francis celebrated Mass before visiting the Akamasoa City of Friendship foundation for the poor. He led a prayer for workers and met with religious officials before leaving for Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, on September 9.

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Port Louis lies on the west coast of Mauritius. Credit: WORLD BOOK map

Francis began his day (today) in Mauritius with a Mass at the Monument of Mary Queen of Peace in Port Louis. The pope then visited the shrine of the French Catholic priest and missionary Père Jacques-Désiré Laval (1803-1864). Laval (also beatified by John Paul II) dedicated his life to helping the poor and sick of Mauritius, and his shrine is said to have miraculous qualities. The day of Laval’s death, September 9—the day of the pope’s visit—is a special day of celebration and reverence for Catholics of the region. Francis then met with Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth and acting President Barlen Vyapoory before returning by plane to Antananarivo. Tomorrow, September 10, a final ceremony at Ivato International Airport precedes his scheduled return flight to the Vatican in Rome.

Francis is from Argentina. He is the first pope from Latin America and the first Jesuit pope. Jesuits are members of a religious order called the Society of Jesus. Francis is known for his commitment to social justice, especially for the poor; his humble lifestyle; and his conservative religious beliefs. Francis visited Panama for World Youth Day in January 2019, and in February he became the first pope to visit the United Arab Emirates. Francis travelled to Morocco in March and to the Balkan states of Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Romania in May and June.

March 13, 2018

Yesterday, on March 12, people in the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius celebrated National Day on the country’s “Golden Jubilee”—its 50th anniversary of independence. March 12 also marks the day Mauritius became a republic in 1992 (it was previously a constitutional monarchy). Mauritius lies about 500 miles (800 kilometers) east of Madagascar and about 2,450 miles (3,943 kilometers) southwest of India. The Dutch claimed an uninhabited Mauritius in 1598. Later, France and then the United Kingdom ruled the island. Mauritius gained independence from the United Kingdom on March 12, 1968. It remains a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Port Louis is the capital and leading port.

Mauritius flag. Credit: © Shutterstock

The people of Mauritius, called Mauritians, are descendants of European settlers, African slaves, Chinese traders, and Asian Indian laborers and traders. About two-thirds of the people are Indians. About a fourth are people of European and African or European and Indian ancestry called Creoles. The rest are Chinese or Europeans. Most Europeans are of French descent.

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Mauritius. Credit: WORLD BOOK map

Mauritius is a beautiful island with a delightfully sunny climate. Temperature averages range from 79 °F (26 °C) in summer to 72 °F (22 °C) during winter. Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit Mauritius each year. Many fine hotels line the island’s lovely beaches.

The dodo was a bird that had tiny wings that were so small it could not fly. Dodos lived only on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. They have been extinct since about 1680. Credit: World Book illustration by Trevor Boyer, Linden Artists Ltd.

Previous to its fame as a tourist destination, Mauritius was perhaps best known for one of its native inhabitants, the dodo (which unfortunately is extinct). The dodo, about the size of a large turkey, was a flightless bird resembling a giant pigeon. The dodo lived only on Mauritius. European sailors killed the birds for food. Pigs and monkeys brought to the island during the 1500′s destroyed the eggs and ate the young. Many scholars believe the dodo died out about 1680.

For philatelists (stamp collectors), the island is well known for two extremely rare stamps issued in 1847. The Mauritius “post office” stamps include a blue two-penny stamp and a red one-penny stamp. They both feature a profile of Queen Victoria and contain the words post office in the frame. In Mauritian stamps issued in 1848 and later, post office was replaced by post paid. Authenticated 1847 “post office” stamps can sell for more than 1 million dollars at auction.