Benedict arrives in Africa for first time as pope

YAOUNDE (Reuters) - Pope Benedict arrived in Africa on Tuesday on his first trip to the continent as pontiff, seeking support for the continent during the world economic crisis and hoping to encourage peace and help tackle corruption.

The Pope began his two-nation tour in Cameroon, where workers whitewashed walls, and rubble-strewn pavements were swept and cleared of street hawkers in last-minute preparations.

The number of practising Catholics is dwindling in the developed world, so Africa is seen as vital to the Church's future.

But the Vatican's refusal to let Catholics use condoms remains controversial on a continent where AIDS has killed more than 25 million people since the 1980s.

While medical workers advocate the use of condoms to help prevent the spread of AIDS, the Church insists on fidelity within heterosexual marriage, chastity and abstinence.

"The problem cannot be overcome by distributing condoms. It only increases the problem," the pontiff told reporters on board the plane headed for Africa.

Some progress has been made towards democratisation across Africa but Tuesday's resignation of Madagascar's President Marc Ravalamonana was a reminder of the conflicts that continue to simmer, stifling the continent's development.

While in Cameroon, Benedict will visit charities, meet Muslim leaders and attend a gathering of bishops trying to chart the Church's role in bettering Africans' lives. Later in the week, he will go to Angola.

A billboard in central Yaounde showed a photo of the Pope and President Paul Biya, with the words "A perfect communion."

SCEPTICISM

Many in the capital were sceptical, not least after the authorities destroyed market stalls last week in a bid to clean up the city before the Pope's arrival.

"I am glad that he is coming but he should be here for religion and not other things," said 29-year-old Calvine Noumbisi, who squatted at the side of the road, selling rosaries, prayer books and incense rocks for a nearby church.

"If he prays, blesses the country and tells the politicians to confess, it will help us," she added.

Although Cameroon and Angola are both resource-rich nations, where oil has flowed for many years and millions of dollars' worth of minerals have been dug from the ground, most of their inhabitants still live in grinding poverty.

Many hope this will force Benedict to call on the continent's leaders to end decades of mismanagement and abuse of power.

At the St. Francois Xavier Catholic Church, members of the Ephphata brotherhood -- sweating in their political T-shirts, dresses made from religious printed cloth and England football strips -- sang, danced and prayed.

"We are happy. Jesus came for the sinners. Cameroon is ill so we are happy he has come to save us," said Robert Nguidjoi, as crowds shuffled to the altar to be blessed by the priest.

The Pope will also promote peace and reconciliation on a continent where violence often stems from religious quarrels but his followers face another challenge -- from the evangelical churches that have sprung up in recent years.

He is also visiting Africa at a time when the developed world is battling a worsening economic crisis, which many fear will lead to cuts in aid for the world's poorer nations.

"Cameroon and Africa in general could offer the Pope the opportunity to present the continent's case on the international stage, in other words, champion their case," said Eric Ambono, a social sciences researcher in Yaounde, Cameroon's capital.

(Additional reporting by Tansa Musa in Yaounde and Philip Pullella aboard the papal plane, editing by Daniel Magnowski and Tim Pearce)