VATICAN CITY, FEB 29 (ZENIT).- This morning John Paul II received Letsie III, the King of Lesotho, and Queen Karabo Mohato Seeiso, and their entourage. The sovereign and his wife arrived in Rome last Sunday, after their wedding in this small southern African kingdom.

    The King's wedding became news when it was announced that he would only have one wife, thus breaking the monarchical tradition of the past in favor of polygamy. Letsie III, 35, renounced this tradition not only out of love for his bride, who is 23, but because he is a Catholic. Indeed, the wedding took place in the Catholic Church and was blessed by Archbishop Bernard Mohlalisi of the capital.

    Lesotho is a constitutional monarchy, with 2 million inhabitants. It became independent from Britain in 1966. For 20 years it was governed by the authoritarian regime of Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan, who was followed by a military regime. In 1993 Lesotho chose the democratic way.

    John Paul II visited Lesotho for 2 days in September of 1998, during his pastoral trip to Africa, when he also visited Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland and Mozambique.

    Meanwhile in Bukuvu, for the third consecutive Sunday, churches in Bukavu remained closed, and no Masses were said. This was the measure taken by the Archdiocese in protest over the decision of the authorities of Goma to exile their Archbishop. In spite of John Paul II's appeal, Archbishop Emmanuel Kataliko remains unable to return to his residence. This past Sunday there were liturgies of the Word and penitential ceremonies in solidarity with the pastor. Archbishop Kataliko himself sent a message of consolation to the faithful of the Archdiocese, in which he requested prayers for peace.

    And in Central Africa the Pontifical Council for Culture has organized an international meeting in Yaounde, Cameroon, from March 2-4, dedicated to "The Christian Culture of Peace." An official statement by this Pontifical Council recalls that the initiative is taking place in the context of the United Nations proclamation of 2000 as the "Year for the Culture of Peace."

    The participants of the meeting will include African members of this Vatican organization and delegates of the Association of Episcopal Conferences of the Region of Central Africa (Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and the Central African Republic) chosen among the presidents of the Episcopal Commissions on Education, Culture, Justice and Peace. It is expected that Cardinal Francis Arinze, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue will attend, as well as Cardinal Christian Wiyghan Tumi, Archbishop of Douala, Cameroon, and Archbishop Anselm Titianma Sanon de Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. ZE00022909, ZE00022910 and ZE00022912