Bismack Shares Foundation Plans With Pope Francis

Bismack met with Pope Francis at the Vatican hotel on June 21 to brief him on the Biyombo Foundation’s humanitarian efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Pope was originally scheduled to visit the Congo in early July, but had to delay his trip due to a knee injury. Bismack remarked that the Congolese people are excited for the Pope’s visit, but patient for him to return to good health.
Biyombo talked to Pope Francis in Spanish about the foundation and his plans to build a hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in honor of his father, who passed away in August 2021 after having COVID-19. Bismack also shared the work he continues to do in his home country refurbishing hospitals and schools, building new schools, and providing scholarships for kids to attend school and play basketball.

Bismack is committed to his mission of providing a better path of education and health for the citizens of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He donated his entire 2021-22 NBA salary ($1.3 million) to his foundation and was voted the NBA Cares Community Assist Award winner in March for "his dedication to bettering the conditions and overall livelihoods of individuals and communities" in the Congo.

Bismack shared photos and a brief recount of his visit on Twitter. “Wow, what a day! I can not put into words what a blessing it was being in the presence of Pope Francis,” Bismack wrote. “I wish my parents could be here to witness this, but I just know my mom is absolutely happy that I was able to do this and I know my father is beaming from above.” He ended his post, in true Biz fashion, by stating, “God is great but we still have work to do!”

Bismack and Pope Francis at the Vatican on June 21, 2022.

You can follow Bismack and learn more about his foundation at the following links:

Twitter: @bismackbiyombo // @BBFoundationdrc

Instagram: @bismackbiyombo // @bbfoundationdrc

If you would like to make a monetary donation to support the efforts of the Bismack Biyombo Foundation, you can do so by clicking here.