Hundreds of Congolese Catholics have attended mass in the Democratic Republic of Congo to pray for their country ahead of next Sunday's polls. The Catholic Church is very influential in the DRC, with more than 30 million faithful scattered across the country. Some of the worshippers expressed their disappointment about the postponement of the vote. CGTN's Chris Ocamringa has more from the capital Kinshasa.

Catholic faithful listen to the sermon at the Church of Our Lady of Fatima in Kinshasa on a day they should have been out voting for their next President. The polls were postponed to the 30th of December because of the electoral commission's delay in replacing voting materials that were burnt in a fire last week. The service has brought Congolese from all walks of life. The priest urged the congregation to remain peaceful.

VICTOR MAVUNGU DELEGATE OF LITURGY "The Christmas message is about peace. It's connected to the forthcoming election which is very important for our country."

Important indeed, especially for some of the worshippers here who were eagerly waiting to vote on the 23rd of December.

DIANE MANZILA CATHOLIC WORSHIPPER "Today we were supposed to go and vote but we've come to church because the government decided to postpone the elections. We have accepted to wait until next Sunday to cast our votes."

DR. ELVIS BULA CATHOLIC WORSHIPPER "I think the reason for postponing the elections wasn't very convincing. We are not happy about it but we'll wait until the 30th. We only hope they'll be no more postponement."

More than 40 million Congolese will cast their ballots next Sunday to choose a leader who'll replace President Joseph Kabila.

CHRIS OCAMRINGA KINSHASA "The Catholic Church has played an instrumental role in promoting democracy in the DRC. In 2016, it brokered a peace deal between the government and the opposition that calmed tensions after President Kabila remained in office after the expiry of his term."

There are fears that the outcome of the elections may spark violence. The international community has called on the Congolese government to ensure that it organises credible elections to avoid sliding the country back into conflict. For many of the worshippers here, it's only God who will determine the destiny of their vast country. Chris Ocamringa, CGTN.