The Holy Father departed Equatorial Guinea after saying Mass at the coastal nationʼs Malabo Stadium. He had earlier visited Algeria, Cameroon, and Angola throughout mid-April.

Hereʼs a look at Leo XIVʼs departure from Africa and return home:

Before taking questions, the pope stressed that the primary purpose of a papal trip is pastoral rather than political.

“When I make a trip — speaking for myself, but today as pope, bishop of Rome — especially an apostolic, pastoral trip, it is to find, accompany, and come to know the people of God,” he said.

He added that such journeys should be understood above all as “an expression of wanting to announce the Gospel, proclaim the message of Jesus Christ,” and as a way “to draw close to the people in their happiness, in the depth of their faith, but also in their suffering.”

Asked about the chaotic state of negotiations aimed at ending the conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, the pope called for a new mindset rooted in peace rather than violence.

“Certainly, I would like to begin by saying that we need to promote a new attitude, a culture of peace,” he said. “Many times when we evaluate certain situations, the immediate response is that we must enter with violence, with war, by attacking, and we have seen that many innocent people have died.”

Leo said the key question was not simply whether a regime should change but how to defend important values without more innocent victims.

“Regime change or no regime change, the question is how to promote the values in which we believe without the death of so many innocent people,” he said.

Describing the situation as “very complex,” the pope said the back-and-forth of negotiations had created “this chaotic and critical situation for the world economy,” while innocent people in Iran were suffering because of the war.

“Rather, I would encourage the continuation of dialogue for peace,” he said. “As Church, I say again, and as a pastor, I cannot be in favor of war, and I would like to encourage everyone to make every effort to seek responses that come from a culture of peace and not of hatred.”

Later in the exchange, responding to a question about reported executions by the Iranian regime, the pope issued an unequivocal condemnation.

“I condemn all actions that are unjust, I condemn the taking of people’s lives. I condemn capital punishment,” Leo said. “I believe that human life is to be respected, and that all people from conception to natural birth, their lives should be respected and protected. So when a regime, when a country, takes decisions which takes away the lives of other people unjustly, then obviously that is something that should be condemned.”

On migration, a major topic ahead of his next international apostolic journey to Spain, the pope said governments have the right to regulate their borders but insisted that wealthier nations must also address the deeper causes driving people to leave poorer countries.

“Evidently, the issue of migration is very complex and affects many countries, not only Spain, not only Europe, but also the United States; it is a global phenomenon,” he said.

Leo continued: “I personally believe that a state has the right to establish rules at its borders. I do not like the idea that everyone enters as if there were no order, and at times creating even more unjust situations than those they had left behind.”

At the same time, he challenged richer countries and multinational corporations to do more for developing nations, especially in Africa.

“But having said that, I ask: What are we doing in richer countries to change the situation in poorer countries?” he said. Referring to Africa, he added that for many people it is seen as “a place where one can go to take minerals, to take its riches, to enrich others in other countries.”

The pope insisted that migrants must always be treated with dignity.

“When people arrive, they are human beings and they deserve the respect that every human being deserves because of human dignity,” he said. “We need to treat human beings in a humane way and not treat them worse than household pets, animals, etc.”

A French journalist asked Leo how he avoids lending moral legitimacy to authoritarian rulers when he meets them during papal trips. The pope said such encounters can be interpreted in different ways, but he returned to the pastoral purpose of travel and the diplomatic mission of the Holy See.

“Certainly, the presence of a pope with any head of state can be interpreted in different ways,” he said. “I would go back to something I said in my initial remarks about the importance of understanding the primary purpose of the travel that I do, that the pope does to visit the people.”

He also defended the Vatican’s continued diplomatic engagement even with difficult governments.

“We don’t always make great proclamations, criticizing, judging, or condemning,” he said. “But there’s an awful lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to promote justice, to promote humanitarian causes.”

That work, he said, can include efforts to free political prisoners and respond to hunger and sickness. “So the Holy See, by maintaining if you will, a neutrality, and looking for ways to continue our positive diplomatic relationship with so many different countries, we’re actually trying to find a way to apply the Gospel to concrete situations, so that the lives of people can be improved.”

Questioned about the blessing of same-sex couples after a decision by German Cardinal Reinhard Marx in Munich and Freising, Leo said Church unity should not be reduced to sexual ethics.

“First of all, I think it’s very important to understand that the unity or division of the Church should not revolve around sexual matters,” he said. “We tend to think that when the Church is talking about morality, that the only issue of morality is sexual, and in reality, I believe there are much greater and more important issues, such as justice, the equality, freedom of men and women, freedom of religion, that would all take priority before that particular issue.”

Leo said the Holy See had already made clear to the German bishops that it does not agree with the “formalized blessing of couples,” including homosexual couples or couples in irregular situations, beyond what Pope Francis had permitted.

Invoking Francis’ well-known statement of “Tutti, tutti, tutti,” Leo said: “All are welcome, all are invited. All are invited to follow Jesus, and all are invited to look for conversion in their lives.”

“To go beyond that today, I think that the topic can cause more disunity than unity,” he added, “and that we should look for ways to build our unity upon Jesus Christ and what Jesus Christ teaches.”

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Mass at Malabo’s stadium, where about 30,000 faithful were expected, marked the pope’s last major public event in Equatorial Guinea, the fourth and final African nation on his 11-day journey.

After riding through the crowd in the popemobile, Leo began Mass amid flags, songs, and colorful hats, with music and dance accompanying the liturgy.

Before delivering his homily, the pope greeted the Archdiocese of Malabo and offered condolences for the recent death of its vicar general, Father Fortunato Nsue Esono, who died unexpectedly April 17 at age 39.

“We remember him in this Eucharist,” Leo said. “I invite you to live this moment of sorrow with a spirit of faith, and I trust that full light will be shed on the circumstances of his death.”

In his homily, preached in Spanish, the pope reflected on the day’s Scripture readings, especially the account in the Acts of the Apostles of the deacon Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch.

“When the deacon Philip approached a traveler who was returning from Jerusalem to Africa, he asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’” the pope said. “The pilgrim, a eunuch of the Queen of Ethiopia, replied immediately with humble wisdom: ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ His question is not only a search for truth but also an expression of openness and desire.”

Leo said the figure of the eunuch reveals both human suffering and the liberating power of the Gospel.

“Yet, as he returns to his homeland of Africa, which for him has become a place of servitude, the proclamation of the Gospel sets him free,” the pope said. “Through his encounter with Philip, a witness of the crucified and risen Christ, the eunuch is transformed from a mere reader — a spectator — of Scripture into a protagonist in the very story that captivates him, because it now concerns him personally.”

“This African man thus enters into Scripture, which welcomes every reader who seeks to understand God’s word,” Leo continued. “He steps into salvation history, which embraces every man and woman, especially the oppressed, the marginalized, and the least among us.”

The pope said Christians today, like the Ethiopian eunuch, read Scripture not in isolation but within the life of the Church.

“Together we read Scripture as the shared heritage of the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, who inspired its composition, and by apostolic tradition, which has preserved and transmitted it throughout the world,” he said. “Like the eunuch, we too can come to understand the Word of God with the help of a guide who accompanies us on our journey of faith.”

Turning to the Gospel of John and Jesus’ teaching on the bread of life, Leo said Christ fulfills God’s saving work in history and leads every people out of slavery.

“Through Jesus’ Passover, the definitive exodus, every people is set free from the slavery of evil,” he said.

The pope also stressed that Christian faith does not erase suffering but illuminates it with hope.

“Our problems do not disappear in the Lord’s presence, but they are illuminated,” he said. “Just as every cross finds redemption in Jesus, so too the story of our lives finds its meaning in the Gospel.”

Quoting Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium, Leo warned against spiritual self-absorption and called the faithful to keep making room for the poor, for God’s voice, and for the quiet joy of his love. He said it is precisely the Lord’s love that sustains Christians in the service of justice and solidarity.

He concluded by encouraging the local Church to continue its evangelical mission with joy.

“For this reason, I encourage all of you, as the living Church in Equatorial Guinea, to carry on the mission of Jesus’ first disciples with joy,” Leo said. “As you read the Gospel together, proclaim it with passion, just as the deacon Philip did. And as you celebrate the Eucharist together, bear witness through your lives to the faith that saves, so that God’s word may become good leaven for all.”

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The itinerary represented the last full day the Holy Father will spend in Africa during the papal trip, which commenced on April 13 and has seen the pope visit Algiers, Cameroon, and Angola before finishing in the small coastal nation.

Hereʼs a look at some of Pope Leo XIVʼs activities in Equatorial Guinea on April 22:

Even under relentless rain, the atmosphere remained festive, with chants, songs to the Virgin Mary, and crowds greeting the pontiff as he rode around the field in the popemobile.

Before the pope spoke, Bishop Miguel Ángel Nguema Bee, apostolic administrator and head of youth ministry for the Equatorial Guinea bishops’ conference, welcomed him to the country and to the Diocese of Bata. He described Equatorial Guinea as “a young country, full of energy, questions, and a thirst for life” while acknowledging its challenges and affirming that “Christ is our light.”

Local songs and dances followed, along with the presentation of gifts to the pope, including a fishing net, a statue of the Virgin Mary, a model boat, and a staff — objects reflecting the country’s daily life and cultural traditions.

Several young people and families then gave testimonies.

A young worker, Alicia Ikimo Ipo, spoke about the meaning of being Christian in daily life and about bringing Christ into ordinary work and human relationships.

A young married couple, Purificación Nntongono Nguema and Jaime Antonio Ndong, shared their hope for an Equatorial Guinea marked by united and reconciled families, open to dialogue and forgiveness, and rooted in marriage as taught by the Church.

Seminarian Francisco Martín Nze Obiang spoke of overcoming fear in responding to God’s call, saying he had discovered that when Christ calls, he does not take anything away but gives everything.

The most moving testimony came from 13-year-old Arnoldo Abeso Ondo, who spoke about growing up with only his mother and about the importance for young people of respecting themselves, caring for themselves, and living responsibly.

The pope then turned to the testimonies he had heard.

Speaking about Alicia, he said: “In this regard, Alicia spoke to us about the importance of being faithful to one’s duties and of contributing to the good of the family and society through daily work.” He added that her words invite reflection “on the importance of productive, committed effort and on the need always to uphold the dignity of every human being.”

Turning to Francisco Martín’s witness, Leo said the seminarian “has given us a glimpse into the beautiful reality of so many young people who give themselves totally to God for the salvation of their brothers and sisters.”

Encouraging vocations, the pope said: “So, if you feel that Christ is calling you to follow him in a path of special consecration — as priests, religious sisters, or religious brothers — do not be afraid to follow in his footsteps. As he himself promised, I too wish to assure you today that you will receive ‘a hundredfold and … eternal life’ (Mt 19:29).”

Addressing family life and marriage, Leo said: “Many of you will prepare to receive the sacrament of holy matrimony. Being spouses and parents is an exciting mission — a covenant to be lived day by day. Within this covenant, you will continually rediscover one another as you cooperate with God in the miracle of life and in building happiness for yourselves and for your children.”

He urged couples to embrace marriage “as a journey of true love that grows in freedom; as a journey of hope, born from the knowledge that God will never abandon you; and as journey of holiness, in which you always seek the good and happiness of others.”

The pope also thanked Victor Antonio — the name given in the official text to the young witness whose testimony centered on the need to protect life and care for the vulnerable — saying: “I warmly thank Victor Antonio for sharing his story with such sincerity and courage.”

Leo added: “His testimony may unsettle us, but it does not discourage us. Rather, it invites us to build a better world — one founded on respect for burgeoning life and on a sense of responsibility toward the most vulnerable among us.”

He continued: “Victor Antonio has reminded us that welcoming life requires love, commitment, and care. These words, spoken by a young person, should lead us to reflect seriously on the importance of protecting and safeguarding the family and the values learned within it.”

Summing up his message as an appeal to Christian love, Leo said: “Let us be inspired by the beauty of love; let us become witnesses to the love that Jesus has given us and taught us! Let us show every day that it is beautiful to love — that the greatest joys, in every situation, come from knowing how to give and from giving of ourselves, especially when we reach out to those most in need.”

He concluded by linking charity lived in the home to the transformation of society itself: “The light of charity, nurtured in our homes and lived out in faith, can truly transform the world — even its structures and institutions — so that every person is respected and no one is forgotten.”

“Let us together make this a firm resolution, a joyful commitment,” he said, “so that the crucified and risen Christ — the light of Equatorial Guinea, of Africa, and of the whole world — may guide us all toward a future filled with hope.”

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The pope arrived in the coastal city of Bata after celebrating Mass earlier in the day in Mongomo.

Before going to the local prison — one of the country’s harshest and long known for difficult detention conditions — Leo stopped at the Cathedral of St. James and Our Lady of Pillar for a brief moment of prayer and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

At the prison, Leo XIV was welcomed by Justice Minister Reginaldo Biyogo Mba Ndong Anguesomo, the prison director, and the chaplain, Father Pergentino Esono Mba, 58, who has worked at the Bata penitentiary for 24 years.

One of the more than 600 inmates thanked the pope for his visit and support.

“We wish to thank you for your visit and your support,” the prisoner said. “Your presence reminds us of the importance of faith and redemption. We ask for your blessing to keep moving forward and to come out of this as better people. We are grateful for your compassion and for your message of hope.”

The chaplain, meanwhile, thanked the pope “for his message of mercy and forgiveness.”

“Your example inspires us to believe in the possibility of change and to trust that, even in darkness, God always opens a door of light and hope,” he said.

Pope Leo began by thanking the inmates for their witness.

“I have listened carefully to your words. Thank you for your sincerity and for showing us that human dignity and hope are never lost, even in the midst of difficulties,” he said.

“Today, I am here to tell you something simple: no one is excluded from God’s love! Each of us, with our unique stories, mistakes, and sufferings, remains precious in the Lord’s eyes.”

He also stressed that justice must be aimed not only at punishment but also at rebuilding lives.

“True justice seeks not so much to punish as to help rebuild the lives of victims, offenders, and communities wounded by evil. There is no justice without reconciliation.”

Hope and change were the central themes of the pope’s address.

“If any of you fear being abandoned by everyone, know that God will never abandon you and that the Church will stand by your side. Every effort toward reconciliation and every act of kindness can spark hope in others.”

He added: “God never grows tired of forgiving.”

After leaving the prison, the pope, under a torrential downpour, stopped briefly to pray at the memorial honoring the victims of a March 7, 2021, explosion.

That day, a series of four explosions struck a military barracks in the Nkoantoma neighborhood, a district of Bata. At least 107 people were killed and more than 600 were injured, with extensive damage reported across the city.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The same day, while en route to Equatorial Guinea to wrap up his trip to Africa, Pope Leo XIV remembered Pope Francis on the first anniversary of his death, highlighting his predecessorʼs “solidarity with the poorest, the most vulnerable, the sick, children, and the elderly.”

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, celebrated the Mass with other cardinals and clergy resident in Rome. He read Leoʼs message at the Mass, in which the pope recalled Francis' missionary zeal.

“He was also a missionary, proclaiming the Gospel of mercy ‘to everyone, everyone, everyone,’” Leo wrote. “In harmony with his predecessors, he took up the legacy of the Second Vatican Council and urged the Church to be open to mission, a guardian of the world’s hope, passionate about proclaiming that Gospel which is capable of giving every life fulfillment and happiness.”

Re described Leoʼs message as an invitation to preserve the legacy of Pope Francis, rooted in his “exhortation to build bridges and not walls.”

“The heart of this message seems to me a vibrant invitation to preserve the spiritual legacy of the late Pope Francis. A legacy summarized, as we have heard, through several of his key phrases: ‘the joy of the Gospel,’ ‘the mercy of God,’ ‘the smell of the sheep,’” Re said.

Before the Mass, a special plaque was blessed and unveiled to commemorate Francis' many visits to the Basilica of St. Mary Major. During his life, Francis frequently visited the basilica to venerate the Marian icon “Salus Populi Romani” and expressed his wish to be buried in the church near the icon.

The Mass was also attended by several ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, including Irish Ambassador Frances Collins and U.S. Ambassador Brian Burch.

After the Mass, all the cardinals processed to Francis' tomb for the final prayer, delivered by Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, archpriest of the basilica.

Commending the late pontiff to the mercy of God, Makrickas recalled that “hope does not disappoint,” a tribute to the papal bull with which Francis inaugurated the Jubilee Year 2025, which drew over 20 million people to St. Mary Major and his tomb.

Mount Graham in Arizona is home to the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT), one of the most important observatories managed by the Vatican Observatory (Specola Vaticana).

According to a statement issued by the Governorate of Vatican City State, the robotization and automation of the telescope were recently completed successfully thanks to donations from the Thomas Lord Charitable Trust philanthropic foundation.

The automation was also made possible thanks to donations from Kim Bepler, who specifically supports various Jesuit initiatives and serves on the board of trustees of Fordham University.

Astronomers will now be able to operate the telescope remotely, without the need to be physically present on the mountain. In fact, astronomers from the Vatican observatory at Castel Gandolfo in Italy are already making use of this new feature.

The new automation system is named “Don” in memory of Donald Alstadt, a renowned figure in the field of philanthropy dedicated to supporting scientific research, particularly through the Thomas Lord Charitable Trust.

The idea to automate the telescope emerged following a meeting held last January between Bepler; the director of the Vatican Observatory, Father Richard D’Souza; and the president of the Vatican Observatory Foundation, Brother Guy Consolmagno.

Their objective was to develop a program to connect the VATT with Castel Gandolfo and enable its use at Jesuit universities worldwide, particularly those that normally lack access to an advanced research telescope.

To launch the project, Bepler offered “a generous contribution in honor of Father Joseph M. McShane, president emeritus of Fordham University and a member of the development committee of the Vatican Observatory Foundation.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The second day of the pope’s apostolic journey in the country opened with the celebration of Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mongomo. The Immaculate Virgin is patroness of Equatorial Guinea.

The basilica is the largest religious building in central Africa and the second-largest basilica on the continent, after the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast.

Emotion and affection for the pope were palpable before the Mass.

“I feel great joy at the arrival of the Holy Father in our country,” said Emmanuel, a young man from Mongomo who came to attend the Mass.

“I am here with my fellow citizens, waiting for the pope’s arrival. And I am very moved,” added Pedro Ngema outside the basilica.

Before celebrating Mass, Leo greeted a group of children, and together they released balloons tied in the shape of a rosary into the sky. He then blessed the foundation stone for the future cathedral of Ciudad de la Paz. In brief spontaneous remarks, he thanked those present and said it was “wonderful” to be united in praising the Lord. He said he wanted to ask God’s blessing on those gathered, on their families, and on the foundation stone that would mark the beginning of the future cathedral.

“We want to renew our faith,” the pope said. “We want to renew our commitment to follow Jesus Christ faithfully in his Church, in the Catholic Church.”

In his homily, the pope began by reflecting on the Eucharist.

“The Eucharist truly contains every spiritual good of the Church: It is Christ, our Passover, who gives himself to us, he is the living Bread that nourishes us,” Leo said. “His presence in the Eucharist reveals God’s infinite love for the entire human family and the way he encounters every woman and every man even today.”

The pope said he was pleased to celebrate with the faithful and “give thanks to the Lord for these 170 years of evangelization in Equatorial Guinea.”

“It is a fitting occasion to recall all the good that the Lord has done,” he said, “and at the same time, I wish to express my gratitude to the many missionaries, diocesan priests, catechists, and lay faithful who have devoted their lives in service to the Gospel.”

He praised those missionaries for their witness, saying: “Through the example of their lives, they have played their part in bringing about the kingdom of God, unafraid of suffering for their fidelity to Christ.”

“It is a history that you must never forget,” the pope continued. “On the one hand, it links you to the universal and apostolic Church that came before you. On the other, it has made you protagonists in proclaiming the Gospel and bearing witness to the faith.”

Leo said Catholics in the country are now called to continue along that path.

“Each and every one of you is invited to make a personal commitment that encompasses your entire life, so that the faith — celebrated so joyfully in your communities and in your liturgies — may also nourish your charitable works and the sense of responsibility toward your neighbor, for building up the common good,” he said.

“Such a commitment requires perseverance; it demands effort and, at times, sacrifice. Yet it is the sign that we are truly the Church of Christ,” he added.

The pope acknowledged that personal, family, and social circumstances are not always favorable but urged the faithful to remain steadfast.

“Even when faced with personal, family, and social situations that are not always favorable, we can trust that the Lord is at work, making the good seed of his kingdom grow in ways unknown to us, including when everything around us seems barren, and even in moments of darkness,” he said.

“With such confidence, rooted in the power of his love rather than in our own merits, we are called to remain faithful to the Gospel, to proclaim it, to live it fully and to bear witness to it with joy.”

Recalling the motto of his apostolic journey — “Christ, Light of Equatorial Guinea, Towards a Future of Hope” — Leo said the country’s deepest hunger today is “for a future imbued with hope that is capable of engendering a new sense of justice and producing fruits of peace and fraternity.”

“This is not an unknown future that we must passively await but rather one that we ourselves are called to build with God’s grace,” he said. “The future of Equatorial Guinea depends upon your choices; it is entrusted to your sense of responsibility and to your shared commitment to safeguarding the life and dignity of every person.”

The pope then called all the baptized to active participation in the Church’s mission and in the country’s development.

“It is therefore necessary for all the baptized to feel that they are part of the work of evangelization, and so become apostles of charity and witnesses to a new humanity,” he said.

“The Creator has endowed you with great natural wealth: I urge you to work together so that it may be a blessing for all,” he continued.

Leo concluded with an appeal for a more just society, one in which all work “to serve the common good rather than private interests, bridging the gap between the privileged and the disadvantaged.”

“May there be greater room for freedom, and may the dignity of the human person always be safeguarded,” he said. “My thoughts go to the poorest, to families experiencing difficulty and to prisoners who are often forced to live in troubling hygienic and sanitary conditions.”

Then came the line at the heart of the homily: “Brothers and sisters, there is a need for Christians to take the destiny of Equatorial Guinea into their own hands.”

“For this reason, I would like to encourage you: Do not be afraid to proclaim the Gospel and bear witness to it with your lives!” the pope said. “Be builders of a future of hope, peace, and reconciliation, carrying on the work begun by the missionaries 170 years ago.”

Among those reflecting on the pope’s visit was Ndende Njoya Soulemanou, founder and director of the Francophone Institute of Bata, who said Leo’s repeated emphasis on peace during his African journey had especially struck him.

“One word struck me above all during his passage through Cameroon, Angola, and here in Equatorial Guinea,” Soulemanou said. “That word is peace — peace in capital letters. Hearing that word went straight to my heart.”

After Mass, the pope walked to the nearby Pope Francis Technical School for a brief visit to the training center named after his immediate predecessor. In the afternoon, his schedule was set to continue in Bata.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Holy Fatherʼs two-day stay in Equatorial Guinea will cap his visit to Africa, during which he has visited and toured Algeria, Cameroon, and Angola.

During his first day in Equatorial Guinea, Leo met with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo along with civil leaders and the countryʼs diplomatic corps.

He also visited with cultural leaders and with staff and patients at a psychiatric hospital in Malabo.

Hereʼs a look at Leoʼs activities during his first day in Equatorial Guinea:

“Whenever I visit a hospital, I have mixed feelings: on the one hand, I feel sorrow for the patients and their families. On the other, I admire and am comforted by all that is done there each day to serve human life,” the pope said in an address delivered in Spanish. “I feel the same way here, but today, I find — and I hope the same is true for you — that joy prevails. It is the joy of meeting in the name of the Lord and of caring for those who are in frail health.”

The late-afternoon event was marked by songs, dancing, and testimonies from both the hospital’s director and a patient, Pedro Celestino Nzerem Koose. A moving poem by a former patient was also recited.

The Jean-Pierre Olié Psychiatric Hospital, with its six pavilions, represents a major development in the treatment of mental illness in Equatorial Guinea, where psychiatric disorders were historically neglected. Founded in 2014, it is the country’s first modern center of its kind and has become a symbol of the national commitment to integrating patients into society, with large green spaces and rehabilitation areas built into the complex.

At the end of 2025, the hospital formalized a cooperation agreement with Sainte-Anne Hospital in Paris. In December of that same year, the complex inaugurated a new pavilion and was subsequently named posthumously after the noted French psychiatrist Jean-Pierre Olié, who died in 2023 and whose contribution was instrumental to the project’s development.

The pontiff was welcomed by the hospital’s director, Bechir Ben Hadj Ali, and the facility’s deputy director, who presented him with a bouquet of flowers. Together they proceeded to the main courtyard, where patients and staff had gathered.

“Our mission is clear: to provide care grounded in science, founded on ethics, and guided by a profound respect for the human person. We work to combat stigma, strengthen professional training, support families, and integrate mental health into our country’s public policies,” the director said in the pope’s presence.

In his own remarks, patient Pedro Celestino also expressed gratitude, saying: “We especially thank the first lady of the nation, Mrs. Constancia Mangue Nsue Okomo, patron of our hospital and of the most vulnerable people in the country.”

Leo then cited the director’s earlier words.

“The director said: ‘A truly great society is not one that hides its weaknesses but one that surrounds them with love.’ Yes, that is true,” the pope said. “This is a principle of a civilization with Christian roots, for in the course of human history Christ came to redeem and restore to full dignity those who suffer from the stigma of disability.”

“However, the Savior does not wish to, nor can he, save us without our cooperation, both on a personal and a social level. Therefore, he asks us to love our brothers and sisters not just in words but also in deeds. A facility such as this, with God’s help and everyone’s commitment, can become a sign of the civilization of love,” he said.

Referring to Pedro Celestino’s testimony, Leo highlighted the patient’s final words: “Thank you for loving us just as we are.”

“Thank you for your witness!” the pope replied. “Yes, God loves us just as we are. In reality, only God truly loves us just as we are, but he does not intend for us to stay that way! No, God does not want us to remain sick forever; he wants to heal us!”

“This is seen in the Gospel time and again. Jesus came to love us just as we are, yet he does not want us to stay that way, but rather to care for us!” he continued. “A hospital, especially one with a Christian mission, is a place where a person is welcomed just as they are and respected in their frailty, so that they can be helped to get better according to a holistic vision.”

Leo added that the spiritual dimension of care is essential and said he was pleased that the director had emphasized that point.

He also thanked former patient Tarcisio for his poem, saying that in a place like the hospital, many hidden “poems” are composed every day “not with words, but with small gestures, with thoughtfulness and kindness in your relationships with one another.”

“It is a poem that only God can fully read and which consoles the merciful heart of Christ,” he said.

The pope closed by asking those present to convey his closeness to all the sick in the hospital, “especially those who are most seriously ill and most alone,” and entrusted patients, health care workers, and staff to the protection of Mary, Health of the Sick.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Speaking at the opening of the Pope Leo XIV University Campus in Basupú, part of the National University of Equatorial Guinea (UNGE), the pontiff said the new institution represents more than new buildings.

“This inauguration is an act of trust in human beings, an affirmation of the fact that it is worth the effort to continue wagering on the formation of new generations and on the task, so demanding and yet so noble, of seeking the truth and putting knowledge at the service of the common good,” Leo said.

The new campus, in the northern part of Bioko Island, is the country’s largest academic facility. The government chose to dedicate it to the pope in conjunction with his visit. Founded in 1995, the National University of Equatorial Guinea was established to help form national leaders and align academic and professional training with the country’s development needs.

Leo was welcomed by Rector Filiberto Ntutumu Nguema Nchama and the archbishop of Malabo, Archbishop Juan Nsue Edjang May. A bust of the pope was unveiled before he met with students and professors gathered in the square outside the main entrance.

Students appealed to the pope for encouragement in becoming “a generation characterized by discipline, respect, responsibility, and commitment to the common good,” one aimed not only at personal success but also at contributing to the development of Equatorial Guinea.

Faculty members, for their part, pledged themselves to academic excellence, innovation, and the integral formation of students. University officials also stressed that science and technology are powerful tools whose value depends on how they are used and that Christian moral tradition offers essential guidance in that task.

In his address, Leo turned to an image deeply resonant in Equatorial Guinea: the ceiba, the country’s national tree.

“For the people of Equatorial Guinea, the ceiba, the national tree, has a great symbolic meaning,” he said. “A tree puts forth deep roots and ascends slowly with patience and strength to the heights, embodying in itself a fruitfulness that does not exist for itself.”

The pope said the tree offers “a parable of that which a university is called to be”: an institution rooted in serious study, living memory, and the persevering search for truth.

Leo then drew on biblical imagery to reflect on the relationship between faith, reason, and knowledge. Referring to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis, he said the biblical account is not a rejection of human intelligence.

“It should be emphasized that this story is not about a condemnation of knowledge as such, as if faith was afraid of intelligence or looked with suspicion upon the desire for knowledge,” he said.

Instead, he warned against knowledge detached from truth and goodness and reduced to self-interest or domination.

“The problem, therefore, does not rest with knowledge but in its deviation towards an intelligence that no longer seeks to correspond to reality but rather to twist it for its own purposes,” he said.

Leo said Christian tradition points to another tree — the cross — as the redemption, not the negation, of human intelligence.

“Christian tradition contemplates another tree, that of the cross, not as a denial of human intelligence but as a sign of its redemption,” he said.

“At the cross, human beings are invited to allow their desire for knowledge to be healed: to rediscover that truth is not fabricated, not manipulated nor possessed like a trophy but welcomed, sought with humility, and served with responsibility.”

For that reason, he said, Christ is not an escape from intellectual effort.

“From a Christian perspective, Christ does not appear as a religious escape in the face of intellectual endeavors, as if faith began where reason ended,” Leo said. “On the contrary, in him the profound harmony between truth, reason, and freedom are manifested.”

The pope said the Church’s concern in education is that young people be formed integrally, “rather than giving the mere appearance of success.”

He added that the university should be judged less by its size or number of graduates than by the quality of the people it forms for society.

“Here on this campus, the ceiba of Equatorial Guinea is called to bear fruits of progress rooted in solidarity and of a knowledge that ennobles and develops the human being in an integral way,” he said. “It is called to offer the fruits of intelligence and uprightness, of competence and wisdom, of excellence and service.”

“If generations of men and women are profoundly shaped in this place by truth and are capable of transforming their own existence into a gift for others, then the ceiba will remain an eloquent symbol rooted in the best things of this land, elevated by wisdom and abounding in fruits that pay tribute to Equatorial Guinea and enrich the entire human family.”

Before the university event, the pope also made a brief visit to St. Elizabeth of Hungary Cathedral in Malabo, built in 1897.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Speaking at the presidential palace in Malabo on April 21, the pope framed his address around the Church’s social doctrine, calling it a guide for addressing the “new things” destabilizing human coexistence, including widening inequality, the exploitation of natural resources, and the misuse of technology.

Leo said the world is facing developments that “shake the very foundations of the human experience” and reiterated that it is “the imperative duty of civil authorities and of sound politics to dismantle the obstacles to integral human development — a mission grounded in the fundamental principles of solidarity and the universal destination of goods.”

The pope pointed to rapid technological development as one factor worsening global imbalances.

“It cannot be ignored, for example, that the rapid technological evolution we are witnessing has accelerated speculation regarding raw materials,” he said. “This shift seemingly overshadows fundamental imperatives such as the safeguarding of creation, the rights of local communities, the dignity of labor, and the protection of public health.”

Recalling Pope Francis on the first anniversary of his death, Leo repeated his predecessor’s condemnation of unjust economic systems, saying: “Today we also have to say ‘thou shalt not’ to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills.”

He added that armed conflicts are increasingly tied to the exploitation of oil and mineral reserves.

“In fact, it is even more evident today than in years past that the proliferation of armed conflicts is often driven by the exploitation of oil and mineral deposits, occurring with no regard for international law or the self-determination of peoples,” he said.

Leo also warned that new technologies are often developed and deployed chiefly for military purposes rather than for the common good.

“On the contrary, the destiny of humanity risks being tragically compromised without a change of direction in the assumption of political responsibility and without respect for institutions and international agreements,” he said.

The pope arrived in Malabo to a festive welcome from crowds lining the streets of the capital. He later held a private meeting of about 30 minutes with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has led the country since 1979 and also received St. John Paul II during his 1982 visit.

In his address, Leo recalled that John Paul II had described the president as “the symbolic center to which the living aspirations of a people converge” for liberty, justice, and respect for rights — words Leo said “remain timely and that challenge anyone entrusted with public responsibility.”

The pope also reflected on St. Augustine’s image of the “city of God” and the “earthly city,” noting that every person shows by daily decisions to which city he or she belongs.

Referencing Equatorial Guinea’s planned new capital, Ciudad de la Paz, Leo said its name “seems to echo the biblical city of Jerusalem” and should prompt each person to ask “which city they wish to serve.”

He said Christians are called to live in the earthly city while keeping their hearts fixed on their true homeland, the heavenly city, and urged freedom from “the pursuit of unjust wealth and the illusion of dominion.”

Leo presented the Church’s social doctrine as a resource not only for Catholics but also for all seeking to respond to modern upheavals while putting “the kingdom of God and his justice” first.

“This is a fundamental dimension of the Church’s mission: to contribute to the formation of consciences through the proclamation of the Gospel, the provision of moral criteria, and authentic ethical principles — all while respecting individual freedom and the autonomy of nations and their governments,” he said.

Calling Equatorial Guinea “a young country,” Leo said the Church stands ready to help form “free and responsible consciences” to build a just future.

“In a world wounded by arrogance, people hunger and thirst for justice,” he said. “It is necessary to encourage those who believe in peace and to dare to engage in ‘countercurrent’ politics — those which place the common good at their very center.”

He concluded with an appeal for youth formation and moral courage: “What is urgently needed is the courage of new visions and an educational pact that gives young people space and trust.”

“Let us walk together, with wisdom and hope, towards the city of God, which is the city of peace,” the pope said.

In remarks welcoming the pope, Obiang noted that the visit comes during the 170th anniversary of evangelization in Equatorial Guinea, where he said about 90% of the population is Catholic, making it “a favorable enclave for Christianity in central Africa.”

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Speaking in Italian to reporters aboard the papal flight, Leo marked the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ death with an extended remembrance of his predecessor, highlighting his witness, his closeness to the poor and suffering, and his appeals to mercy and fraternity.

“I would like to remember, on this first anniversary of his death, Pope Francis, who gave and offered so much to the Church through his life, his witness, his words, and his actions,” Leo said.

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The pope said Francis gave much to the Church by living “closeness to the poorest, the smallest, the sick, children, and the elderly,” and by the example of his life and preaching.

Leo also pointed to Francis’ emphasis on universal fraternity, saying he sought to promote authentic respect for every man and woman and to foster a spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood rooted in the Gospel.

He further recalled Francis’ message of mercy, from his first Angelus to a March 17, 2013, Mass before the formal inauguration of his pontificate, when he preached on the woman caught in adultery and spoke “from the heart” about the mercy of God.

Leo said Francis shared with the whole Church the message of God’s love, forgiveness, and mercy, and pointed in particular to the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy as part of that legacy.

“Let us pray that he is already enjoying the mercy of the Lord, and let us give thanks to the Lord for the great gift of Francis’ life to the whole Church and to the entire world,” Leo said.

Leo then took questions from journalists about the Church in Angola, where he had just completed a visit.

Asked about cooperation between Church and state, the pope said the two can work together for the good of the people while maintaining distinct roles. He said he had discussed health care and education with Angola’s president, including ways to improve public services and expand hospitals and other institutions.

He added that the Church also has a duty to defend the rights of all people through its witness and preaching.

Asked whether Angola could one day receive a cardinal, Leo said no decision had been made on the creation of new cardinals and that the issue would have to be considered in a broader global context. Still, he said such a possibility could be considered in the future.

On whether new dioceses might be established in Angola, Leo said the Church’s growth there was encouraging and underscored the need for continued evangelization. He said local bishops, working with the apostolic nuncio, could help determine where new dioceses might be needed so pastors can be closer to the faithful.

Equatorial Guinea is the last stop on Leo’s Africa tour, which has also included Algeria, Cameroon, and Angola.

His first scheduled event in the country was an address to the president and civil authorities at the Presidential Palace. He is also set to visit the university campus named for him, where he will address representatives of the cultural world, as well as the Jean Pierre Olie psychiatric hospital and the country’s bishops.

On April 22, Leo is scheduled to travel to Mongomo to celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and visit the Pope Francis Technological School, named for his predecessor. He will later travel to Bata, the country’s political capital.

In Bata, Leo is expected to visit a prison, pray at a memorial for the victims of a March 7, 2021, arms depot explosion that killed 20 people and injured about 500 others, and meet with young people and families.

The pope is scheduled to conclude the trip on April 23 with a final Mass before returning to Rome.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Here are nine significant moments that have become part of Pope Francis' legacy:

1. Election of the first Latin American pope

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis was the first pope from Latin America and the first Jesuit to hold the office — two “firsts” that signaled a shift away from a historically Eurocentric Church. His choice of the name Francis, inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, hinted at priorities rooted in humility, poverty, and care for creation.

Even his first appearance broke with convention: no traditional vestments, no grand proclamations — just a quiet “buona sera” and a request that the crowd pray for him before he blessed them.

2. The publication of Laudato Si’

With the release of his encyclical Laudato Si’ in 2015, the Holy Father positioned the Catholic Church as a major moral voice in the global climate conversation. The document framed environmental destruction not just as a scientific or political issue but as a spiritual and ethical crisis tied to inequality and human dignity. He spoke of the Earth as “our common home,” urging collective responsibility across nations and religions. The encyclical resonated far beyond Catholic circles, earning praise from environmental advocates worldwide.

3. Visit to the United States and address to Congress

In September 2015, Pope Francis made his one and only visit to the U.S. and became the first pope to address Congress. He used the platform to speak about immigration, economic inequality, and the moral responsibilities of political leadership. Referencing figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Dorothy Day, he framed his message in terms of justice and human dignity and encouraged lawmakers to work toward promoting the common good.

4. Launch of World Day of the Poor

In November 2017, Pope Francis held the first-ever World Day of the Poor and sat down to eat lunch with 4,000 poor and in need people from Rome. Celebrated on the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Pope Francis established the World Day of the Poor in his apostolic letter Misericordia et Misera, presented Nov. 20, 2016, at the end of the Church’s Jubilee Year of Mercy. The purpose of the event is to encourage Catholics to reflect on how poverty is an important aspect of the Gospel and to encounter the poor.

5. Confronting the clergy abuse crisis

Confronting the clergy sexual abuse crisis became one of the most defining and difficult aspects of Francis’ papacy. In 2014, he established the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which works to protect the dignity of minors and vulnerable adults, such as the victims of sexual abuse.

His most significant legal reform came with Vos Estis Lux Mundi (2019), which created a global system for reporting abuse, required dioceses worldwide to set up accessible reporting mechanisms, and introduced procedures to investigate bishops accused of misconduct or cover-ups. That same year, he abolished the “pontifical secret” — a rule of confidentiality protecting sensitive information regarding the governance of the universal Church — in abuse cases.

6. A shepherd praying for the world during a global pandemic

The early days of the COVID-19 pandemic produced one of the most enduring images of Francis’ papacy: the pope standing alone in a rain-soaked St. Peter’s Square, offering an extraordinary “urbi et orbi” blessing for a world in crisis. It was a moment of stark symbolism — emptiness, vulnerability, and quiet solidarity. Throughout the pandemic, he called for global cooperation, urged respect for scientific guidance, and advocated for equitable vaccine distribution.

7. Historic visit to Iraq

Among the most striking journeys of Pope Francis’ papacy was his 2021 trip to Iraq, the first ever by a pope, undertaken despite security risks and the lingering devastation left by years of war and the rise of ISIS. Visiting cities like Mosul and Qaraqosh — places scarred by violence and the persecution of Christians — the Holy Father delivered a message of resilience, coexistence, and hope.

His historic meeting with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf marked a powerful moment of interfaith dialogue, underscoring his commitment to building bridges between religions. Praying amid the ruins of churches and addressing displaced communities, the pope sought to amplify the voices of those who had endured conflict and displacement, reinforcing a central theme of his papacy.

8. The Synod on Synodality

Another defining initiative of Francis’ papacy was the Synod on Synodality — an ambitious multiyear process aimed at reshaping how the Catholic Church listens, discerns, and makes decisions.

Launched in 2021 and culminating in global assemblies in Rome in October 2024, the synod invited unprecedented participation from laypeople, women, and marginalized groups, signaling Francis’ desire for a more inclusive and consultative Church.

Rather than focusing on a single issue, it centered on the idea of “synodality” itself: shared responsibility and dialogue across all levels of the Church. Some topics of discussion included the role of women and laity, clerical accountability, outreach to marginalized groups, and ecumenism.

9. His final, international papal trip

Only seven months before he passed away, Pope Francis embarked on a 12-day trip of more than 20,000 miles over seven flights through Asia and Oceania. The trip to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore was his most ambitious international trip and the longest of his 12-year pontificate.

Traveling to regions where Catholics are a minority, he emphasized interreligious dialogue in Muslim-majority Indonesia, emphasized care for the environment and supporting Indigenous communities in Papua New Guinea, encouraged the youth to embrace hope, fraternity, and the faith in East Timor, and stressed the importance of social cohesion and protecting the vulnerable in a wealthy society in Singapore.

“There are erroneous motives for seeking Christ, particularly when he is considered to be a guru or a good luck charm,” the pope said on April 20, referring to how the crowds in the Gospel reading reacted after Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and the fishes.

He concluded his day with a meeting with bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, catechists, and other pastoral workers at the Parish of Our Lady of Fátima in Luanda.

Here are some of the highlights of Pope Leo’s activities on Monday:

“Thank you also for your steadfast commitment to contribute to the progress of this nation on the solid foundations of reconciliation and peace,” the pope said April 20 during a meeting with bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, catechists, and other pastoral workers at the Parish of Our Lady of Fátima in Luanda.

The parish, dedicated to Our Lady of Fátima and built by Capuchin Franciscans in 1963, welcomed the pope with a festive reception. Two children greeted him at the entrance with flowers, while young women in red skirts danced on the church square as they awaited his arrival.

The stop was one of the pope’s final public events in Angola before his departure Tuesday for Equatorial Guinea, the last leg of his African journey.

Leo thanked the Church in Angola for its vitality and missionary spirit, telling clergy and religious that the Lord sees the generosity with which they have embraced their vocation.

“It is therefore worth opening your hearts completely to Christ!” he said. “Do not be afraid to say ‘yes’ to Christ, to model your lives entirely on his! Do not be afraid of tomorrow, for you belong completely to the Lord.”

Addressing seminarians and those in formation in particular, the pope emphasized the total gift of self to God in priestly and religious life.

“It is worth following him in obedience, poverty, and celibacy. He takes nothing away! The only thing he takes from us and takes upon himself is sin. Yes, from him you receive everything,” he said.

The pope also highlighted the importance of catechists, calling their ministry a foundational expression of ecclesial life in Africa.

“Particularly in Africa, it is a fundamental expression of the life of the Church, which can serve as an inspiration for Catholic communities throughout the world,” he said.

Fifty years after Angola’s independence, Leo reflected on the country’s future and on the Christian duty to help shape it.

“All Angolans, without exception, have the right to build up this country and to benefit from it equitably; however, the Lord’s disciples have the duty to do so according to the law of charity,” he said.

The pope framed that responsibility above all as a call to fidelity to Christ. Referring to the Angolan bishops’ current three-year pastoral plan, “Faithful Disciples, Joyful Disciples,” he said the first path the Lord opens before the Church is fidelity.

“The first path is fidelity to Christ,” he said, urging ongoing formation, vigilance in personal integrity, and perseverance “in proclaiming the good news of peace.”

Leo said formation must be rooted not only in study and pastoral structures but also in a contemplative life nourished by prayer, adoration, and the broader cultivation of the human person.

“Formation is much broader,” he said. “It concerns the unity of our inner life, care for ourselves and for the gift of God we have received … by drawing on literature, music, sports, the arts in general, and above all, prayer of adoration and contemplation.”

He also encouraged clergy and religious to remain close to the people, especially the poor, and to reject privilege, arrogance, and self-centeredness.

“Do not detach yourselves from the people, especially the poor, and shun the pursuit of privileges,” he said.

The pope gave special thanks to families, calling them indispensable in nurturing vocations and asking relatives to support priests and religious with prayer and honest counsel rather than seeking personal advantage from their ecclesial service.

After winning independence in 1975, Angola was plunged into a civil war that lasted until 2002. The long conflict left enduring scars, making the Church’s message of reconciliation and peace especially resonant today.

Turning to Angola’s history of conflict, Leo said the Church’s fidelity today is especially tied to the proclamation of peace.

“In the past, you have shown courage in denouncing the scourge of war,” he said. “Your contribution is widely recognized and appreciated. But this responsibility is not over!”

He urged the Church to promote a renewed sense of reconciliation by educating people in the ways of peace and by honoring those who have learned to forgive after enduring suffering.

“It is therefore essential that, while interpreting current events with wisdom, you never cease to denounce injustices, offering solutions in accordance with Christian charity,” he said.

Leo also called on the Church to continue cooperating in the country’s “integral development,” especially through education and health care.

“Continue to be a generous Church, cooperating in the integral development of your country,” he said.

He concluded by pointing to the witness of those who gave their lives for Angola and for the Gospel.

“Remember the heroic witness of faith given by Angolans — men and women, missionaries born here or coming from abroad — who had the courage to give their lives for this people and for the Gospel, preferring death to betraying the justice, truth, mercy, charity, and peace of Christ,” he said.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

“There are erroneous motives for seeking Christ, particularly when he is considered to be a guru or a good luck charm,” the pope said on April 20, referring to how the crowds in the Gospel reading reacted after Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and the fishes.

“They were not seeking a teacher whom they love but a leader to applaud for their own advantage,” he said.

Joyful faith in Saurimo

From the start of his arrival in Sub-Saharan Africa — first in Cameroon and then in Angola — Pope Leo has been welcomed by the warmth of the faithful. In Saurimo, a city in northeastern Angola, the atmosphere greeting the pope on Monday was marked by joyful faith. Everyone welcomed the successor of Peter with songs, dances, and applause.

Despite the intense heat, upon reaching the esplanade before Mass, Leo XIV greeted the roughly 60,000 faithful of all ages — who had come from across the region and neighboring dioceses — by making a circuit in the popemobile.

“This is the first time a pope has gone beyond Angola’s coastal belt and come — using Pope Francis’ language — to the peripheries,“ the director of the communications office of the Archdiocese of Saurimo said. ”This is a region rich in diamonds, but there is also great poverty, and he comes here to show our reality. For us, having the Holy Father in our region is a great joy.”

“This is a unique and unforgettable moment in my life and in the lives of the many pilgrims here today,” Filomena Vunda, who works in the pastoral secretariat of the Archdiocese of Malanje, told ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, at the Mass.

Vunda encouraged non-Catholics in Angola to “keep in mind our African word ‘Ubuntu’: The happiness of others depends on me; my happiness depends solely on the happiness of others.”

Ubuntu is an African philosophy about human interconnectedness. It can be translated as “I am because we are.”

‘Disciples of Christ’

In his homily at Mass, concelebrated by Angolan bishops, Pope Leo said: “In every part of the world, the Church lives as a people who walk as disciples of Christ, our brother and redeemer.”

"He, the Risen One, illumines for us the path to the Father and with the strength of the Spirit he sanctifies us so that we may transform our way of life in conformity with his love," the pope said. "This is the good news, the Gospel that courses through our veins like blood, sustaining us on the journey. A journey that has brought me here with you today!”

Commenting on the Gospel of the day, Leo reflected: “Indeed, when the Son of God became man, he performed striking miracles in order to manifest the will of the Father: He made light shine in the darkness by giving sight to the blind, he gave a voice to the oppressed by loosening the tongues of the mute, he slaked our thirst for justice by multiplying bread for the poor and weak. Anyone who heard about these works set out in search of Jesus. At the same time, the Lord looks into our heart and asks us whether we seek him out of gratitude or for our own self-interest, with calculation or with love.”

“The Lord himself says,” the pope continued, “‘you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves’ (Jn 6:26). His words reveal the designs of those who do not want to encounter a person but want to consume things. The crowd sees Jesus as means to an end, a provider of services. If he had not given them something to eat, his actions and teachings would not have interested them.”

“This happens,” Leo XIV explained, “when genuine faith is replaced with superstitious practices, in which God becomes an idol that is sought only when it is advantageous to us and only for as long as it is. Even the most beautiful gifts of the Lord, which are always for the care of his people, become a pretext, a prize or a bargaining chip, and are misinterpreted by those who receive them.”

“How different is Jesus’ attitude toward us,” the pontiff continued. “Yet, he does not reject this insincere search, but encourages its conversion ... Christ calls us to freedom: He does not want servants or clients, rather he seeks brothers and sisters to whom he can totally dedicate himself.”

“Therefore,” Leo XIV said, “the admonition that the Lord directs to the crowd is transformed into an invitation: ‘Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life’ (Jn 6:27)."

“His gift sheds light on our current situation,” the pope went on. “We can see today how the hope of many people is frustrated by violence, exploited by the powerful, and defrauded by the rich. Consequently, when injustice corrupts hearts, the bread of all becomes the possession of a few."

“In the face of these evils, Christ hears the cry of the people and renews our history by lifting us up from every fall, comforting us in every suffering, and encouraging us in our mission," he said.

“All this,” the pope exhorted, “means that, in light of our discipleship, the ecclesial journey is a ‘synod of resurrection and hope,’ as St. John Paul II affirmed in his apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in Africa. Let us proceed in this wise direction! Christ himself guides and strengthens our journey, a journey that we want to learn to live more and more as it should be, that is, in a synodal manner.”

The pope concluded by recalling the importance of the martyrs and saints, whose witness “encourages us and pushes us onto a path of hope, reconciliation, and peace, along which the gift of God becomes the responsibility of the head of the household, in the Christian community, in civil society.”

"The vitality of the vocations that you experience [in Angola]," he said, "is a sign that you are responding to the Lord’s gift, which is always abundant for those who welcome it with pure hearts.”

ACI Africa reporter Raúl Kangombe Sapiti contributed to this report.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The pope began his brief greeting by thanking those present for the faith-filled welcome, saying it "touched my heart" and "is a great comfort to me as I carry out my mission.”

“It struck me to learn that you call this place ‘lar,’ which means ‘home,’” he said. “I thank God for this, and I hope that all of you are truly able to live here in a family atmosphere as much as possible.”

“Jesus loved to be at the home of his friends," he recalled. "I would like to think that Jesus also lives here, in this home. Yes, he dwells among you whenever you try to love one another and help one another as brothers and sisters."

“When you forgive each other and seek reconciliation after a misunderstanding or a small offense, he is here among you. When all of you, or even some of you, pray together with simplicity and humility, he is here among you,” the pope said.

“The care of the weakest,” he concluded, “is a very important sign of the quality of the social life of a nation. Let us not forget that the elderly are not only in need of assistance, but first and foremost need to be listened to, because they preserve the wisdom of a people."

After concluding his visit to the nursing home, the pope will go to the open esplanade in Saurimo for the celebration of Mass. Saurimo, erected as a diocese by Pope Paul VI in 1975, was later elevated to the rank of archdiocese by Pope Benedict XVI, two years after his apostolic journey to Angola in March 2009.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Addressing young people, members of the Legion of Mary, and other pilgrims gathered at the shrine, the pope said he was “pleased to share this moment of Marian prayer” with them.

Here are some of the highlights of Pope Leo’s activities on Sunday:

The shrine, whose name means “Mother of the Heart” in Kimbundu, is one of Angola’s best-known Marian sanctuaries. Built by the Portuguese in the 17th century on a hill overlooking the Kwanza River, it has long been a place of pilgrimage and prayer for Angolan Catholics.

Addressing young people, members of the Legion of Mary, and other pilgrims gathered at the shrine, the pope said he was “pleased to share this moment of Marian prayer” with them.

“Together we have recited the holy rosary, an ancient and simple devotion that originated in the Church as a form of prayer for everyone,” Leo said.

Quoting St. John Paul II, the pope described the rosary as the prayer of a Christianity that has preserved the “freshness of its beginnings and feels drawn by the Spirit of God to ‘set out into the deep’ ... to proclaim, and even cry out, before the world that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior.”

Leo said that in the “living and young Church of Angola,” one can “truly feel the freshness of faith and the power of the Spirit.”

He reflected on the history of the shrine, saying it has been a place where “for centuries, many men and women have prayed in times of joy and also in moments of sorrow and great suffering in the history of this country.”

“For a long time now, Mama Muxima has quietly worked to keep the heart of the Church alive and beating,” he said. “Her heart contains a multitude of hearts: yours, and those of many people who love, pray, celebrate, weep, and sometimes — even when unable to come in person — entrust their requests and petitions to letters and postal messages.”

“Mama Muxima welcomes everyone, listens to everyone, and prays for everyone,” he added.

Meditating on the glorious mysteries, the pope said the faithful were contemplating both their destiny in Christ and their mission in his love.

“At Easter, Christ conquered death, showing us the way back to the Father,” Leo said. “And so that we too may walk this luminous and demanding path, sharing its beauty with the whole world, he has given us his Spirit, who animates and sustains us on our journey and in our mission.”

“Like Mary, we too are made for heaven,” he continued. “As we journey toward heaven with joy, we look to her as our good Mother and model of holiness. Following her example, we bring the light of the risen One to the brothers and sisters we meet.”

The pope also reflected on the popular title of the shrine, saying that although it is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, the faithful have spontaneously renamed it the shrine of the “Mother of the Heart.”

“It is a beautiful title, which makes us reflect on the heart of Mary: a pure and wise heart, capable of treasuring and pondering the extraordinary events in the life of the Son of God,” he said.

Leo said praying the rosary means taking on a concrete responsibility toward others.

“Praying the rosary, then, commits us to loving every person with a mother’s heart — concretely and generously — and to dedicating ourselves to the good of one another, especially the poorest,” he said.

“A mother loves all her children in the same way and with her whole heart, even though each one is different,” the pope continued. “In the presence of the Mother of the Heart, we too want to promise to do likewise.”

“We strive without measure so that no one may lack love,” he said. “We also seek to provide the necessities for living with dignity and happiness: that the hungry may have enough to eat, that the sick may receive the necessary care, that children may be guaranteed a proper education, and that the elderly may live their later years in peace.”

“A mother thinks of all these things. Indeed, Mary thinks of all these things, and she also invites us to share in her maternal concern,” he added.

Turning again to the young people gathered at the shrine, Leo pointed to the construction of a new sanctuary there as a sign of a larger calling.

“Dear young people, members of the Legion of Mary, brothers and sisters, Our Lady asks us to let ourselves be moved by the sentiments of her heart, so that like her, we may be workers for justice and bearers of peace,” he said.

“Here, a great project is underway: the construction of a new shrine, able to welcome all who come on pilgrimage. Everyone — especially you young people — should take this as a sign,” the pope said.

“For the Mother of Heaven entrusts a great project to you as well: to build a better, welcoming world, where there is no more war, injustice, poverty or dishonesty, and where the principles of the Gospel increasingly inspire and shape hearts, structures, and programs, for the good of all.”

“It is love that must triumph, not war!” Leo said. “This is what the heart of Mary — the heart of the Mother of all — teaches us.”

“Let us set out, then, from this shrine as ‘messenger angels’ of life, bringing Mary’s tender embrace and God’s blessing to everyone,” he said.

At the end of his address, the pope invoked a hymn familiar to devotees of Mama Muxima: “Mother of the Heart, we come to you to offer you everything.”

“Dearest friends, let us offer everything to Mary, giving ourselves entirely to our brothers and sisters, and let us joyfully receive, through her intercession, the Lord’s blessing, so that we may bring it to everyone we meet,” he said. “Amen.”

In his greeting, Bishop Emilio Sumbelelo of Viana highlighted the importance of devotion to Mama Muxima in Angola and noted that in 2022 the cornerstone of a future basilica was laid by the president of the republic and blessed by the late Cardinal Alexandre do Nascimento. The basilica will be dedicated to Our Lady of the Conception of Muxima, fulfilling a promise made by the Angolan government to the Catholic Church during St. John Paul II’s 1992 visit to the country.

For many Angolans, the shrine remains a powerful symbol of faith, national memory, and hope.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Kilamba, inaugurated in 2011, has grown into a city of about 130,000 inhabitants, according to the most recent Angolan government census. Built with financing tied to a Chinese public investment company, the city’s layout and architecture evoke the urban planning of Chinese population centers more than that of a typical African city.

Yet the atmosphere at the papal Mass was unmistakably African.

About 100,000 faithful packed the large esplanade where the Eucharistic celebration took place. Many wore traditional Angolan dress. Scouts were present in large numbers, along with members of the military, doctors, nurses, priests, and missionaries — lay and religious — who have worked in Angola for years and did not want to miss the occasion.

“This visit is an occasion of celebration and hope, for us and for this beautiful land that is Angola,” a Polish missionary from the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary told EWTN News.

At around 10:15 a.m. local time, Pope Leo began the Mass. The entrance procession was accompanied by a hymn marked by both faith and enthusiasm, hallmarks of the African crowds that have greeted the pontiff throughout this trip.

“I celebrate the Eucharist here among you with a grateful heart. Thanks be to God for this gift, and thank you for your warm welcome!” the pope said at the start of his homily.

Reflecting on the Gospel account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, Leo said he saw in that scene “a reflection of the history of Angola, of this beautiful yet wounded country, which hungers and thirsts for hope, peace, and fraternity.”

He continued: “Indeed, the conversation along the road between the two disciples, who reflected with sorrow on what had happened to their Master, brings to mind the pain that has marked your country: a long civil war with its aftermath of enmities and divisions, of squandered resources and poverty.”

“When one is long immersed in a history so characterized by pain, one can risk losing hope and remaining paralyzed by discouragement, just like the two disciples,” he said.

The pope then pointed to what he called the central Christian answer to such suffering: “Dear friends, the good news of the Lord, even for us today, is precisely this: He is alive, he has risen, and he walks beside us as we journey along the path of suffering and bitterness, opening our eyes so that we may recognize his work and granting us the grace to start afresh and rebuild the future.”

Recalling how Christ accompanied the two disciples in their disappointment, Leo said the same path is now set before Angola.

“Here, too, is the path laid out for us, for you, dear Angolan brothers and sisters, to begin anew. On the one hand, there is the certainty that the Lord accompanies us and has compassion on us, and on the other, the commitment that he asks from us,” he said.

The pope stressed prayer, Scripture, and especially the Eucharist as the place where believers encounter God and renew hope. He also warned against distortions of faith.

“For this reason, we must always be vigilant regarding those forms of traditional religiosity that certainly belong to the roots of your culture, but at the same time risk confusing and mixing magical and superstitious elements that do not aid your spiritual journey,” he said.

“Remain faithful to what the Church teaches, trust your pastors, and keep your gaze fixed on Jesus, who reveals himself in the word and in the Eucharist,” he added.

Leo then turned to the mission of the Church in Angola, saying the country’s continuing hardships require “the presence of a Church that knows how to walk alongside you and how to heed the cry of its children.”

“A Church that, with the light of the word and the nourishment of the Eucharist, knows how to rekindle lost hope,” he said. “A Church made up of people like you who give of themselves just as Jesus gave of himself in the breaking of the bread for the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.”

“Angola needs bishops, priests, missionaries, men and women religious, and laypeople who carry in their hearts the desire to ‘break’ their own lives and give them to others, to commit themselves to mutual love and forgiveness, to build spaces of fraternity and peace, and to perform acts of compassion and solidarity towards those most in need,” the pope said.

In the final part of the homily, Leo appealed for national renewal, saying that “it is possible to build together a country where old divisions are overcome once and for all, where hatred and violence disappear, and where the scourge of corruption is healed by a new culture of justice and sharing.”

“Only in this way will a promising future be possible, especially for the many young people who have lost hope,” he said.

He concluded with a direct appeal: “Brothers and sisters, today we need to look to the future with hope and to build the hope of the future. Do not be afraid to do so!”

The pope assured those present of his closeness and prayers and entrusted the people of Angola to the protection of the Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Muxima.

Before leading the “Regina Coeli” after the Mass, Pope Leo turned to several international crises. He lamented the “recent intensification of attacks against Ukraine,” noting that civilians continue to suffer, and said: “I express my closeness to all who suffer and assure my prayers for all the Ukrainian people. I renew my appeal for the weapons to fall silent and for the path of dialogue to be followed.”

The pope also referred to the announced truce in Lebanon, saying it “is a cause for hope” and “a sign of relief for the Lebanese people.”

He added: “I encourage those engaged in a diplomatic solution to continue peace talks for the end of hostilities throughout the Middle East.”

Even after the celebration ended, the enthusiasm of the faithful did not fade. The crowd seemed reluctant to let the pope go, continuing with songs, dancing, and jubilant cries as the color and joy of the occasion carried on across the vast gathering space.

This story was first published in two parts by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Holy Father will spend several days in Angola before finishing his trip in Equatorial Guinea. This is his first papal trip to the continent.

Here are some of the highlights of Pope Leoʼs latest activities during his trip:

The pope spoke at the presidential palace in Luanda during his meeting with authorities, civil society, and the diplomatic corps, the first public event of the Angola leg of his broader trip to Africa.

Arriving in Luanda earlier in the day, Leo traveled by popemobile through jubilant crowds lining the route to the palace. He also held a private meeting with Angolan President João Lourenço before delivering his address.

At the outset of his speech, the pope expressed solidarity with those affected by recent flooding in the country.

“Before continuing, I would like to offer the assurance of my prayers for the victims of the heavy rains and floods that have struck the province of Benguela, and to express my closeness to the families who have lost their homes,” he said. “I also know that you, the people of Angola, are united in a great chain of solidarity with those affected.”

His remarks came against the backdrop of mounting social strains in Angola, including protests last year over fuel price increases, repeated criticism by the country’s bishops over entrenched corruption, and deadly flooding in early April.

Leo framed his address around themes that have marked earlier stops on his Africa trip, including peace, reconciliation, the common good, and criticism of those who exploit the continent for personal gain.

Speaking in Portuguese, the pope praised the Angolan people for possessing “treasures that cannot be bought or taken away.”

“In particular, there dwells within you a joy that not even the most adverse circumstances have been able to extinguish,” he said. This joy, he added, “is no stranger to sorrow, indignation, disappointment, and defeat,” yet continues to be reborn in those who have resisted “the seductions of wealth.”

The pope sharply criticized patterns of exploitation directed at Africa.

“You know well that all too often people have looked — and continue to look — to your lands in order to give, or, more commonly, in order to take,” he said. “It is necessary to break this cycle of interests, which reduces reality, and even life itself, to mere commodities.”

Leo described Africa’s joy and hope as “virtues that I would not hesitate to call ‘political,’” because “her young people and her poor continue to dream and to hope.” He said they “are not content with what already exists; they strive to rise above, to prepare themselves for great responsibilities, and to take an active part in shaping their own future.”

He also emphasized that authentic social transformation cannot be imposed ideologically.

“Indeed, the wisdom of a people cannot be stifled by any ideology, and the longing for the infinite that dwells in the human heart is a principle of social transformation far deeper than any political or cultural program,” he said.

The pope said he had come to “listen to and encourage all those who have already chosen the paths of goodness, justice, peace, tolerance, and reconciliation,” while also praying “for the conversion of those who choose contrary paths and hinder its harmonious and fraternal development.”

Turning to Angola’s natural wealth, Leo warned against what he called a destructive extractive logic.

“How much suffering, how many deaths, how many social and environmental disasters are brought about by this logic of extractivism!” he said. At every level, he added, it supports “a model of development that discriminates and excludes, while still presuming to impose itself as the only viable option.”

He said Africa “urgently needs to overcome situations and dynamics of conflict and enmity that tear apart the social and political fabric of many countries, fostering poverty and exclusion.”

Only encounter allows life to flourish, the pope said, and dialogue must come first, even when disagreements emerge.

“Angola can experience great growth if, first of all, those who hold authority in the country believe in the manifold nature of its riches,” he said. “Do not be afraid of disagreement; do not suppress the ideas of the young or the dreams of the elderly; and know how to manage conflicts by transforming them into paths of renewal. Place the common good before every particular interest, never confusing your own part with the whole. History will then vindicate you, even if in the near term some may oppose you.”

Leo then returned to the themes of joy and hope, describing them not as merely private sentiments but as forces with public and political consequences.

“Despots and tyrants of both body and spirit seek to render souls passive and passions gloomy; they prefer a populace prone to inertia, docile and subservient to power,” he said.

Sadness, he argued, leaves people vulnerable to fear, fanaticism, manipulation, and isolation from public life. By contrast, “true joy frees us from such alienation,” he said, calling joy “a gift of the Holy Spirit.”

“Joy intensifies life and leads to the creation of community,” the pope said. “Joy knows how to carve paths even in the darkest zones of stagnation and hardship.”

He concluded with an appeal for moral and social renewal.

“Let us therefore examine our own hearts, dear friends, because without joy there is no renewal; without interiority there is no liberation; without encounter there is no politics; without the other there is no justice.”

Leo said the Catholic Church wants to help Angola become “a project of hope” by fostering a just model of coexistence, especially in poor urban neighborhoods and remote rural areas.

“Let us remove the obstacles to integral human development, working and hoping together alongside those whom the world has discarded but whom God has chosen,” he said.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

In a brief in-flight press conference with journalists, the pope addressed the interpretation of some of his recent speeches as a response to criticism from Trump, who had accused him of weakness in foreign policy.

“[T]hereʼs been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when on the first day of the trip, the president of the United States made some comments about myself,” the pope said.

“Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said.”

He pointed in particular to his address at the April 16 prayer meeting for peace in Cameroon.

“Just one little example, the talk that I gave at the prayer meeting for peace a couple days ago was prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting,” he said.

“And yet, as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not in my interest at all.”

Leo XIV said he intends instead to continue proclaiming the Gospel and promoting peace.

“So we go on the journey, we continue proclaiming the Gospel message,” he said.

He added that the liturgies during the trip have highlighted what it means to follow Christ, promote fraternity, and seek justice and peace.

The pope also said the broader African journey has been shaped by themes that emerged at the start of the trip in Algeria, especially the figure of St. Augustine.

“I was personally very pleased, as you know, we began the trip in Algeria with the theme of St. Augustine, and yesterday at the Catholic University, we had the blessing of that beautiful monument that they had prepared with a map of Africa and St. Augustine at the center,” he said.

“And so in one sense, it expresses part of what this trip is about.”

Leo XIV emphasized that his primary purpose in Africa is to accompany Catholics.

“And I primarily come to Africa as pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church, to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all of the Catholics throughout Africa.”

He also referred to a meeting with imams in Cameroon, describing it in general terms as part of the Church’s continuing commitment to interreligious dialogue, understanding, and peace-building.

He concluded his main remarks by thanking journalists for their work and expressing hope that God would continue to bless the journey.

Responding later to a French journalist, Leo XIV expressed gratitude for the reception he received in Cameroon.

“I would just like to thank everyone in Cameroon for the wonderful welcome, the great enthusiasm, the joy of the people,” he said.

“It was absolutely fantastic, the experience ... how wonderful it is to experience what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to celebrate our faith together.”

The pope’s flight took him from Yaoundé to Luanda, crossing over Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola. Angola is the third and penultimate stop of his African journey.

The Catholic Church has long-standing ties with Angola. Formal relations date back centuries, including the 1608 appointment of Antonio Manuel Nyunda as the first ambassador to Rome from the then-Kingdom of Kongo.

More recently, in 2019, the Holy See and Angola signed an agreement recognizing the legal personality of the Catholic Church and defining its property rights.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Before departing later in the day for Angola, the pope reflected on the Gospel account of Jesus walking on the water and tied it to the fears, crises, and social challenges faced by both individuals and nations.

“Dear brothers and sisters, peace be with you! It is the peace of Christ, whose presence illuminates our path and calms life’s storms,” Leo said. “As we heard in the Gospel, faith does not spare us from tumult and tribulations. At times, it can seem that fear has the upper hand. However, we know that even in these moments, Jesus does not abandon us.”

Drawing from St. John’s account of the disciples at sea, the pope said that in Jewish tradition, water “often calls to mind the netherworld, chaos, danger, and death,” while also recalling the Exodus, when God led his people through the waters to freedom.

“Throughout the ages, the Church has navigated many storms and ‘strong winds,’” he said. “We too can identify with the feelings of fear and doubt experienced by the disciples while crossing the lake of Tiberias.”

Such moments, he said, come when people feel overwhelmed, alone, and weak. “But it is not so,” the pope said. “Jesus is with us always, stronger than any power of evil. In every storm, he comes to us and repeats: ‘I am here with you: Do not be afraid.’”

Today’s Mass was the votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of the Apostles. The Prayer of the Faithful was recited in French, English, Ewondo, Nnanga, and Fulfulde. Many faithful were present, and a colorful crowd took part in the Mass with singing and dancing.

A particularly striking moment was the singing of the Gloria in the Ewondo language, performed by a choir of 1,000 men and women from across the ecclesiastical province of Yaoundé.

Another distinctive moment was the procession of the Lectionary, led by traditional chiefs of the Ewondo culture. It underscored how the word of God is the message of a King, worthy of a royal accompaniment before being solemnly proclaimed.

Leo said Christ does not always calm the storm immediately but instead comes near in the midst of danger and teaches his followers to remain together in the same boat.

“He invites us not to distance ourselves from those who suffer but to draw near to them, to embrace them,” the pope said. “No one must be left alone to confront life’s adversities. For this reason, every community has the obligation to create and sustain structures of solidarity and mutual aid in which, when faced with crises — be they social, political, medical, or economic — everyone can give and receive assistance according to their own capacity and needs.”

The pope then widened his reflection to social and political life, saying Jesus’ words “It is I” remind Christians that every person’s contribution matters in a society founded on respect for human dignity.

“The exhortation ‘do not be afraid,’ then, takes on a broader meaning, even at a social and political level, as an encouragement to confront problems and challenges — particularly those associated with poverty and justice — together, with a sense of civic and civil responsibility,” he said.

“Faith does not separate the spiritual from the social,” Leo continued. “Indeed, it gives Christians the strength to interact with the world, responding to the needs of others, especially the weakest.”

He warned that isolated efforts are not enough to save a community and said what is needed is “a communal commitment, which integrates the spiritual and moral dimensions of the Gospel in the heart of local institutions and structures, making them instruments for the common good and not places of conflict, self-interest, or sterile struggles.”

Referring to the day’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the pope recalled how the early Church faced its first internal crisis when some members were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. The apostles, he said, responded by gathering together, praying, and creating new structures of service for the good of the community.

“Listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit and being attentive to the cry of the suffering, they not only avoided division within the community, but they also equipped it with new instruments suitable to its growth, transforming a moment of crisis into an occasion of enrichment and development for everyone,” he said.

Leo said family and social life also sometimes require “the courage to change mindsets and structures,” so that the dignity of the human person remains central and inequality and marginalization can be overcome.

“God who became man identified himself with the least, and this makes the preferential care for the poor a fundamental part of our Christian identity,” he said.

At the close of the Mass, the pope bid farewell to the people of Cameroon, praising the local Church for its vitality and harmony.

“The Church in Cameroon is alive, young, blessed with gifts and enthusiasm, energetic in its variety and magnificent in its harmony,” he said. “With the help of the Virgin Mary, our mother, may your joyful presence continue to blossom.”

He added that the “strong winds, which are never lacking in life,” can become opportunities for growth “in the joyful service of God and your brothers and sisters through sharing, listening, praying, and the desire to grow together.”

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Holy Father arrived in Cameroon on April 15 and will depart for Angola on April 18, eventually finishing his first papal trip to the continent in Equatorial Guinea.

Here’s a look at some of the pope’s ongoing activities in Cameroon:

In his message, addressed to Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, and signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, the Holy Father warned that a lack of respect for and recognition of the dignity of every person “may cause serious harm.”

He clarified that respect is “a demanding form of charity, expressed in safeguarding others without possessing them, accompanying them without dominating them, and serving them without humiliating them.”

He pointed out that the protection of minors and vulnerable adults “cannot be understood merely as a set of rules to apply or procedures to follow” but instead requires a wisdom "that shapes the style of communities, the exercise of authority, the formation of educators, vigilance over contexts, and transparency of behavior.”

For the Holy Father, the presence of the youngest and most vulnerable “challenges the conscience of the Church and measures its ability to express authentic care.”

Leo XIV urged that special attention be paid to those who have suffered abuse. “Their wounds,” he noted, “call for sincere closeness, humble listening, and perseverance in seeking what is right and possible for repair.”

The pope emphasized that a Christian community lives out evangelical conversion “when it does not shield itself from the pain of those who have suffered but allows itself to be questioned by it; when it does not minimize evil but acknowledges it; when it does not become closed in on itself in fear of scandal but accepts the demanding paths of truth, justice, and healing.”

According to the pontiff, the meeting being held in Rome reminds the Church of the need “to grow in a culture of prevention that is, above all, a culture of evangelical care.”

Finally, he encouraged the participants to continue their work with confidence, “that communities may grow in which the most fragile are welcomed, protected, and loved.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

“Professors and students are called to embrace as both their aim and their way of life the common search for truth, for, as St. John Henry Newman wrote, ‘All true principles run over with God, all phenomena converge to him,’” the pope said during an encounter at the Catholic Academic Institution of Central Africa (UCAC) in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital.

UCAC, founded following an agreement between the Holy See and the Republic of Cameroon in 1989, serves more than 2,000 students from the six countries of central Africa: Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Chad.

To mark the pope’s visit April 17, the university inaugurated a square on campus, naming it after St. Augustine in honor of Leo.

Plans are also underway for the construction of a university hospital dedicated to the pope: It will become the Leo XIV Catholic University Center.

Upon Pope Leo XIV’s arrival, songs of joy and jubilation filled the air. A celebration of music and chanting erupted as the pope arrived at the campus, where many of the young people were wearing yellow and green T-shirts, the colors of Cameroon. Authorities say 8,000 people were in attendance.

In his address, the pontiff responded to the concerns of many young people, emphasizing that universities — Catholic universities in particular — can become “true communities of life and research,” introducing “students and professors alike to a fraternity in knowledge.”

Through knowledge — which above all means dialogue — it becomes possible to set aside individualism, superficiality, and hypocrisy: “The university stands out as a privileged place of friendship, cooperation, and, at the same time, of interiority and reflection,” Leo underscored.

What makes a university truly significant, he recalled, is the shared search for truth. Quoting from Pope Francis’ encyclical Lumen Fidei, he said, faith, in this way, succeeds in “illuminating” the gaze of science: “Faith encourages the scientist to remain constantly open to reality in all its inexhaustible richness. Faith awakens the critical sense by preventing research from being satisfied with its own formulae and helps it to realize that nature is always greater.”

Speaking about the African continent, he added: "Today, moreover, there is an urgent need to think about faith within the framework of contemporary cultural contexts and present challenges, so that its beauty and credibility may emerge in diverse settings, especially in those most marked by injustice, inequality, conflict, and both material and spiritual degradation.”

AI and a new humanism

“Christians, and especially young African Catholics, must not be afraid of ‘new things,’” the pope said, a reference to Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum.

He invited African youth to become pioneers of “a new humanism in the context of the digital revolution.”

“While the African continent is well acquainted with its alluring aspects, it also knows the darker side of the environmental and social devastation caused by the relentless pursuit of raw materials and rare earths,” Leo said. “Do not look the other way: This is a service to the truth and to all humanity. Without this demanding educational effort, passive adaptation to dominant paradigms will be mistaken for competence, and the loss of freedom for progress.”

He said the spread of artificial intelligence systems, “like every great historical transformation,” call for not only “technical competence but also for a humanistic formation.”

He warned against superficial misunderstandings of this new digital tool: “When simulation becomes the norm, it weakens the human capacity for discernment. As a result, our social bonds close in upon themselves, forming self-referential circuits that no longer expose us to reality. We thus come to live within bubbles, impermeable to one another.”

“Feeling threatened by anyone who is different, we grow unaccustomed to encounter and dialogue,” he said. “In this way, polarization, conflict, fear, and violence spread. What is at stake is not merely the risk of error but a transformation in our very relationship with truth.”

Hence, he invited Catholic universities to “assume a responsibility of the highest order. For it does not merely transmit specialized knowledge but shapes minds capable of discernment and hearts ready for love and service.”

One of the many challenges facing Cameroon is the “understandable tendency to migrate — which may lead one to believe that elsewhere a better future may be more easily found,” the pope said.

The Holy Father instead invited young people “to respond with an ardent desire to serve your country and to apply the knowledge you are acquiring here to the benefit of your fellow citizens.”

This, he said, is the very reason for the existence of a major African university like the one he is visiting today.

Addressing the university’s faculty and leadership, he said: “Spiritual and human accompaniment constitutes an essential dimension of the identity of the Catholic university.”

“Whatever our role or our age, we must always remember that we are all disciples — that is, fellow learners with one Teacher, who so loved the world that he gave his life,” the pope concluded.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

During the April 16 procession on the campus of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas — “the Angelicum” — students and clergy offered visible testimony to faith in the Real Presence.

Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, led the procession. In his homily beforehand, Mamberti referenced the soon-to-be Blessed Archbishop Fulton Sheen, calling adoration an experience that “mysteriously transforms our heart.” He later spoke to EWTN News about the need for such practices to be developed in the wider Church.

The cardinal said it is beautiful when youth gatherings dedicate a part of their time to adoration of the Lord in the Eucharist. “We recognize him as truly present, under the Eucharistic species, and this is an integral part of our faith,” he said. “Otherwise our faith is in vain … Because if Christ is not present in the bread and in the Eucharist and in the wine of the Eucharist, it means that he is not resurrected, as St. Paul says.”

Faith amid challenges

Amid challenges in Eucharistic faith, Dominican Father Thomas Joseph White, rector of the Angelicum, described the procession as indicative of a revival among the young. The Angelicum established student-led adoration in 2001 in response to the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. John Paul II.

“Eucharistic adoration has become more prominent in at least areas of the Church in recent decades. Some of that had to do with initiatives at the time of the pontificate of John Paul II when [student adoration] began here,” White said.

“St. Thomas understood this mystery [of the Eucharist] deeply; he contemplated it, he wrote about it, and studying his thinking about the Eucharist here leads our students into a deeper appreciation of the Eucharist,” the priest said. It also helps students to pray more deeply “and explain the mystery of the Eucharist to the world today as missionaries of the 21st century.”

Impact of program on students

Marcia Vanderstraaten, who is from Singapore and studying for a theology licentiate (similar to a master’s degree), described the student adoration program as a blessing, giving students the opportunity to pray between classes.

Students “take great comfort in being able to see Jesus during their breaks, praying and reflecting. Having the Eucharistic presence in the midst of our community is something that really matters to a lot of us,” she said.

The group Solidarity with the Persecuted Church (SPC) and the Embassy of the United States to the Holy See organized the April 17 conference at the embassy on threats to religious freedom in Nigeria.

Burch spoke to EWTN News on the sidelines about the stance of the U.S. on religious violence in Nigeria. He described the current situation as a “conflict between radical Islamic groups and Christians because of their faith.”

“The United States is the greatest friend of religious liberty,” Burch said. “The purpose of this event is to call attention to the plight of Christians who are being targeted and killed in Nigeria. Unfortunately, there are extremist Islamic groups that have been targeting Christians specifically in their churches and their homes, and the scale and size of the persecution of Christians there is intolerable.”

Asked about the denial by some Nigerian government officials that Christians specifically are being targeted, Burch insisted that the current violence against Christians is alarming, citing U.S. President Donald Trump, who designated Nigeria as a country of particular concern in 2025.

“The president has said that Christians face an existential crisis in Nigeria, and thanks to his leadership, he is now acting to bring an end to this. We have called on the Nigerian government to take necessary steps to protect Christians, and the United States government is now working in partnership with the Nigerian government to assist them in doing just that,” he said.

Steven Wagner, president of SPC, underscored the importance of Nigeria for Christianity in Africa and the need for the Holy See to be involved in raising awareness.

“As Nigeria goes, so goes Africa. More Christians are martyred for their faith in Nigeria than in any other country on earth. There is a huge crisis of internally displaced persons. We are calling on the Vatican to increase public awareness of the problem and to continue to encourage the government of Nigeria to make progress in protecting its people,” Wagner said.

Burch responds to Trump’s comments on the pope

In his opening remarks at the conference, Burch commented for the first time on the recent tensions between Trump and Pope Leo XIV. He emphasized their difference in approach to armed conflicts and their shared goal of eliminating evil.

“In recent days, President Trump and Pope Leo have exchanged, shall we say, sharp words. We must not pretend there is no disagreement. But both men are driven by an unshakable belief in protecting the innocent. One leads with the sword and shield of American power, the other with the cross of sacrificial love. But both are saying in their own languages, ‘Evil must not triumph and innocents must not be abandoned,’” Burch said.

Papal trip in Africa

The pontiff is currently on his first apostolic journey to Africa — visiting Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.

Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization and a presenter at the conference, described the trip as a moment of profound unity for all Africans.

“This is Africa, and much of the divisions, according to countries in Africa, are artificial divisions that were imposed on the continent,” Nwachukwu told EWTN News. “Africans quite often feel united even beyond the boundaries. So the popeʼs message to these churches and these populations will also be a message to the population in Nigeria and to the Church in Nigeria.”

Many of the issues the pope is addressing on his trip “are shared in common in Nigeria,” Burch added. The Holy See and the United States “certainly share this deep, fundamental commitment to religious liberty.”

The tradition began with Pope John Paul II, who in 2001 became the first pope in history known to have entered a mosque when he visited the Great Mosque of Damascus in the capital of Syria.

The subsequent Popes Benedict XVI, Francis, and Leo XIV have all paid visits to mosques to hold ecumenical dialogues and host diplomatic meetings.

Yet the practice is not without some controversy. Indeed, Leo XIVʼs visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers on April 13 drew some backlash on social media by critics incredulous over the leader of the Catholic Church visiting a major Islamic holy site. (This was Leoʼs second visit to a mosque; he also visited the famed “Blue Mosque” in Istanbul in late 2025.)

So why do popes make visits to mosques, courting controversy and criticism for making a point to go to holy sites of another religion?

‘We can live together in peace’

Pope Leo XIV himself addressed criticism directed toward him on April 15 on board the papal plane after leaving Algiers bound for Cameroon.

“I think the visit to the mosque was significant [and showed] that although we have different beliefs, we have different ways of worshipping, we have different ways of living, we can [still] live together in peace,” the Holy Father said. 

“I think that to promote that kind of image is something which the world needs to hear today,” he said, arguing that such visits show that “together we can continue to offer in our witness as we continue on this apostolic voyage.”

Gabriel Said Reynolds, a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame who has written multiple works on the Quran and its relationship to Christianity, told EWTN News that interpreting papal visits to mosques should include an understanding of “the Churchʼs vision of God in the world.”

“What is God’s relationship to the world? That’s been important to all of the recent popes,” he said.

Reynolds pointed out that an Islamic mosque is “fundamentally different from a church.”

“A Catholic church is a sort of temple in which God is present in the tabernacle — body, blood, soul, and divinity,” he said. “It’s a sacred space in the deepest sense of the word.”

“What Muslims would say of a mosque is fundamentally different,” he said. “A mosque is for communal prayer, but the communal prayer that takes place in a mosque is no different than the ritual prayer that’s more often done at home.”

He likened a mosque to a “gathering place” with just a few features that set it apart as a distinct site — such as a pulpit for occasional sermons and an alcove that denotes the direction of Mecca to which Muslims orient themselves during prayer.

Reynolds said popes visit mosques in no small part as a “pastoral concern” for Christians living in majority-Muslim countries, such as Algeria.

“Algerian society is thoroughly Islamic,” he said. “It’s not generally marked by notions of rights and responsibilities and citizenship in the same way the U.S. is. Cultivating positive relationships with Muslim leaders is absolutely essential for Christians.”

Reynolds said the Churchʼs view about human dignity has “fundamental implications with its relationship toward non-Christians.” He pointed out, for instance, that the pope “could show up at an atheist convention and meet the people there and have dialogue with them.”

“John 3:16 says God loves the world,” he said. “It’s not that God loves believers and doesn’t love the unbelievers. All people are children of God, according to Catholic teaching.”

The declaration Nostra Aetate, meanwhile — issued by the Second Vatican Council in 1965 to address Catholicismʼs relationship with non-Christians — affirmed that the Church “regards [Muslims] with esteem.”

The document points out that although Muslims “do not acknowledge Jesus as God,” they still “adore the one God” and “revere [Jesus] as a prophet” while giving honor to the Virgin Mother as well.

The Second Vatican Council acknowledged that “in the course of centuries not a few quarrels and hostilities have arisen” between Christians and Muslims, but the document “urge[d] all to forget the past and to work sincerely for mutual understanding.”

It further called on religious adherents to “preserve as well as to promote together for the benefit of all mankind social justice and moral welfare, as well as peace and freedom.”

Celebrating Mass for more than 120,000 people outside Japoma Stadium, in Cameroon’s economic capital, the pope said in his homily that Jesus’ miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes is a sign he came to serve with love, not domination.

The miracle “shows us not only how God provides humanity with the bread of life but how we can share this sustenance with all men and women who, like ourselves, hunger for peace, freedom, and justice,” Leo said.

“Each act of solidarity and forgiveness, every good effort, becomes a morsel of bread for humanity in need of care,” the pope added.

“Yet this alone is not enough: The food that sustains the body must be accompanied, with equal charity, by nourishment for the soul — a nourishment that sustains our conscience and steadies us in dark hours of fear and amid the shadows of suffering. This food is Christ himself, who always gives his Church abundant sustenance and strengthens us on our journey by giving us his Eucharistic body," he said.

Leo celebrated Mass in French in Douala on his third day in Cameroon. On April 18, he will celebrate Mass in the country’s capital, Yaoundé, before departing for the third country of his apostolic journey in Africa — Angola.

In his homily, delivered mostly in French, the pope reflected on the miracle of the loaves and fishes, comparing the crowd in the Gospel to those present at the Mass.

“The Gospel we have heard (John 6:1-15) is the word of salvation for all humanity. This good news is proclaimed today throughout the world; for the Church in Cameroon, it resounds as a providential proclamation of God’s love and of our communion,” he said.

Describing the scene in the Gospel, Pope Leo focused on the crowd and the lack of food: “Jesus asks us today, just as he asked his disciples then: How will you solve this problem? Look at all these hungry people, weighed down by fatigue. What will you do?”

The pope stressed that this question concerns everyone: “It is posed to the fathers and mothers who care for their families. It is directed to the shepherds of the Church, who watch over the Lord’s flock, and also to those who bear social and political responsibility for the people and seek their well-being. Christ asks this question to the powerful and the weak, to the rich and the poor, to the young and the elderly, because we all hunger in the same way.”

“Our necessity reminds us that we are creatures,” he continued. “We need to eat in order to live. We are not God: but where is God in the face of people’s hunger?”

Turning to Christ’s response, Leo underlined the meaning of thanksgiving and sharing: “While awaiting our answers, Jesus gives his own: ‘Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.’ A serious problem was solved by blessing the little food that was present and sharing it with all who were hungry.”

He said the miracle is that “there is bread for everyone if it is given to everyone. There is bread for everyone if it is taken, not with a hand that snatches away, but with a hand that gives.”

Pointing to the Mass being celebrated, the pope highlighted its transforming power as “a source of renewed faith, because Jesus becomes present among us. The sacrament [of the Eucharist] does not merely revive a distant memory; it brings about a ‘companionship’ that transforms us because it sanctifies us.”

“This very altar, around which we gather for the Eucharist, becomes a proclamation of hope amid the trials of history and the injustices we see around us. It is a sign of God’s love; in Christ, the Father invites us to share what we have, so that it may be multiplied in ecclesial fellowship,” Leo said.

Switching to English, Pope Leo addressed young people, asking them to “be the first faces and hands that bring the bread of life to your neighbors, providing them with the food of wisdom and deliverance from all that does not nourish them, but rather obscures good desires and robs them of their dignity.”

Acknowledging the realities of poverty, he issued a warning against violence and corruption, urging them to “not give in to distrust and discouragement” and to “reject every form of abuse or violence, which deceives by promising easy gains but hardens the heart and makes it insensitive.”

“Do not forget that your people are even richer than this land, for your treasure lies in your values: faith, family, hospitality, and work,” he said.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Holy Father will ultimately spend several days in Cameroon before heading on to Angola and then Equatorial Guinea during his first apostolic journey to Africa. The trip is scheduled to last through April 23.

Here is a look at the popeʼs activities in Cameroon:

In his homily, Pope Leo praised the faith of the local Church, saying: “The festive celebrations that accompany your liturgies and the joy that flows from the prayers you raise are signs of your trusting surrender to God, of your unshakeable hope and of your clinging, with all your strength, to the love of the Father who draws near and looks with compassion upon the sufferings of his children.”

Quoting Psalm 34, the pope reminded the crowd that “the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

He then turned to the wounds afflicting the country and the region.

“Brothers and sisters, there are many situations in life that break our hearts and plunge us into sorrow,” Leo said. “Our hope for a future of peace and reconciliation, in which the dignity of every person is respected and their fundamental rights guaranteed, is continually disappointed by the many problems afflicting this beautiful land.”

The pope pointed to “the numerous forms of poverty,” including an ongoing food crisis, as well as “moral, social, and political corruption, seen above all in the management of wealth, which hinders the development of institutions and infrastructure.”

He also cited “the serious problems affecting the education and health care systems, as well as large-scale migration to foreign countries, particularly of young people.”

“Added to these internal problems, which are often fueled by hatred and violence, is the damage caused from outside, by those who, in the name of profit, continue to lay their hands on the African continent to exploit and plunder it,” he said.

Even so, Leo insisted that the present moment is one for action, not despair.

“Yet this is the moment to change, to transform the story of this country,” he said. “The time has come, today and not tomorrow, now and not in the future, to restore the mosaic of unity by bringing together the diversity and riches of the country and the continent. In this way, it will be possible to create a society in which peace and reconciliation reign.”

The pope warned that when difficult situations persist for a long time, people can fall into resignation and helplessness. But, he said, “the word of the Lord opens up new possibilities and brings about transformation and healing.”

“It is capable of stirring our hearts, of challenging the normal course of events to which we so easily risk becoming accustomed, and of making us active agents of change,” he said. “Let us remember this: God is newness, God creates new things, God makes us courageous people who, by confronting evil, build up the good.”

Reflecting on the Acts of the Apostles, Leo said the apostles’ courage became “a voice of conscience, a prophecy, a denunciation of evil,” calling that witness “the first step towards changing things.”

“In fact, obeying God is not an act of submission that oppresses us or nullifies our freedom; on the contrary, obedience to God sets us free, because it means entrusting our lives to him and allowing his word to inspire our way of thinking and acting,” he said.

Those “who obey God rather than human beings and earthly ways of thinking,” he continued, “rediscover their inner freedom, succeed in discovering the value of goodness, and do not resign themselves to evil. They find anew their way in life and become builders of peace and fraternity.”

The pope also cautioned Catholics to remain vigilant in their faith.

“We must, however, always keep the apostle Peter’s exhortation in our hearts and bring it to mind: Obey God, not human beings. To obey him, because he alone is God,” Leo said.

“This calls us to foster inculturation of the Gospel. It also calls us to be vigilant, even regarding our own religious practices, so as not to fall into the trap of mixing the Catholic faith with other beliefs and traditions of an esoteric or Gnostic nature, which in reality often serve political and economic ends.”

“Only God sets us free; only his word opens paths to freedom; only his Spirit makes us new people capable of changing this country,” he said.

At the end of the Mass, Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya of Bamenda thanked the pope for visiting the region “during this time of insecurity, uncertainty, and discouragement,” saying his presence had brought “spiritual uplift, moral encouragement, psychological boost, and physical consolation.”

The archbishop said the people of Bamenda were confident that “the peace you have come to pray for shall return once again” to the ecclesiastical province and pledged, on behalf of the bishops of the region, filial loyalty to the pope.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

When Leo arrived at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, on the fourth day of his trip in Africa, he first visited the Blessed Sacrament Chapel for a moment of prayer together with Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya of Bamenda.

During the interreligious peace gathering, Nkea said the popeʼs presence was consoling for the people. The meeting included testimonies from local people, including Catholics, Protestants, and Muslims.

"Holy Father, help us to have peace,” Imam Mohammad Abubakar of the Central Mosque of Buea said after speaking about violent episodes that have taken place in recent years.

“It is a joy for me to be with you in this region that has suffered so greatly. As your testimonies have just demonstrated, the lived experience of suffering by your community has only made stronger your conviction that God has never abandoned us! In God, in his peace, we can always begin anew!" the pope said.

“May we all continue on the path of goodness which leads to peace,” he continued. “I am grateful for your words of welcome, because it is true: I am here to proclaim peace. Yet I find it is you who are proclaiming peace to me, and to the entire world.”

Leo praised the witness of local Muslims and Christians in working for peace and said he wishes “this would happen in so many other places of the world.”

“Jesus told us: Blessed are the peacemakers! But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,” Leo said.

The Holy Father also expressed his gratitude to all the laypeople and religious women who care for those traumatized by violence — a work that is dangerous and unseen.

“The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet a lifetime is often not enough to rebuild,” he said. “We must make a decisive change of course — a true conversion — that will lead us in the opposite direction, onto a sustainable path rich in human fraternity.”

“Peace is not something we must invent: It is something we must embrace by accepting our neighbor as our brother and as our sister. We do not choose our brothers and sisters: We simply must accept one another!” he urged.

The pope said: “Let us walk together, in love, searching always for peace.”

Outside of the cathedral at the end of the meeting, Pope Leo, accompanied by representatives of the Bamenda community, released seven doves as a sign of peace.

“My dear brothers and sisters, today the Lord has chosen all of us to be workers who bring peace to this land! Let us all say a prayer to the Lord, that peace will truly reign among us, that as we release these white doves — a symbol of peace — that God’s peace will be upon all of us, upon this land, and keep us all united in his peace. Praise the Lord!” he said.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Holy Father will spend several days in Cameroon before heading on to Angola and Equatorial Guinea during his first apostolic journey to Africa. The trip is scheduled to last through April 23.

Here is a look at the popeʼs activities in both Algeria and Cameroon:

“Dear children, I know that many of you have endured difficult trials. Some of you have known the pain of loss through the death of parents or loved ones. Others have experienced fear, rejection, abandonment, deprivation, and uncertainty. Yet, you are called to a future that is greater than your wounds. You are bearers of a promise," the pope said April 15.

Run for 40 years by the religious congregation the Daughters of Mary, the Ngul Zamba Orphanage — whose name means “Strength of God” — provides food, lodging, and education to poor or abandoned children.

During the visit, the pope listened with delight to the various songs of welcome. He applauded with satisfaction, smiling in return at the many smiles of the children. He was also moved by the recitation of a verse from Psalm 27: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even should mothers forget, I will never forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before my eyes.”

Leo also listened to two testimonies from staff members, one of whom is a former student, who expressed his gratitude for all that the Daughters of Mary of Yaoundé did for him and concluded by reaffirming his commitment to promoting an “education for all,” without exclusion.

Pope Leo then addressed the children and staff: “I am very happy to visit this orphanage, which has become your home. Here, above all, it is our heavenly Father who welcomes you with love as his children. He wants to show you his tenderness and to draw you close to his heart. In his name, I too wish to do the same. Indeed, you form a true family here, with brothers and sisters who all share a similar history marked by suffering. In this family, your eldest brother is Jesus! It is living as brothers and sisters gathered around him that makes you strong, helps you to carry life’s burdens together, and allows you to experience true joy.”

“In a world often marked by indifference and selfishness, this home reminds us that we are the ones who need to look after our brothers and sisters, and that, in God’s great family, no one is ever a stranger or forgotten, no matter how small he or she may be.”

Turning directly to the children, the Holy Father acknowledged the weight of their experiences:

“Dear children, I know that many of you have endured difficult trials. Some of you have known the pain of loss through the death of parents or loved ones. Others have experienced fear, rejection, abandonment, deprivation, and uncertainty. Yet, you are called to a future that is greater than your wounds. You are bearers of a promise. For wherever there is misery, suffering, or injustice, God is present; and he knows each of your faces and is very close to you. The Gospel reminds us that Jesus cares especially for children like you, and he would often place them at the center of a gathering. Know that he looks upon each one of you today with that same affection.”

Finally, the pope addressed all those who care daily for the children of the orphanage:

“I would also like to greet with gratitude all those who take care of these children: the directors, educators, staff, volunteers, and, of course, the sisters. Your faithful dedication is a beautiful testimony of love. By caring for these children, you are getting a foretaste of the joy that the Lord has promised to those who serve the little ones. Your patience reflects the face of divine mercy. Through your patience and dedication, you offer much more than mere material support: You offer these children a presence, a listening ear, a family, and a future. Through you, God’s tenderness is made manifest — a faithful tenderness that does not falter in times of trial and never disappoints. I thank you for all that you do, and I encourage you to persevere courageously in this beautiful work that you have undertaken.”

He concluded by entrusting everyone to Mary’s care: “As I impart my heartfelt blessing, I entrust each of you to the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our mother. May she always watch over you, console you in moments of sadness, and help you to grow as true friends of her son, Jesus.”

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

In a dense address, the pope expressed confidence in Cameroonʼs society, often described as “Africa in miniature” because of the richness of its lands, cultures, languages, and traditions. A country marked by conflict, even recent conflict, but whose civil society, the pope said, is ready to take responsibility for a rebirth, together with its young people.

Leo arrived in Cameroonʼs capital, Yaoundé, for the second leg of his 11-day papal journey to Africa. President Paul Biya, in power for nearly four decades, welcomed the pope. Yet beneath a political system that has endured, conflicts have also taken root. In particular, the so‑called Anglophone crisis remains in the background, a topic the pope will address when he visits Bamenda on Thursday.

The Anglophone crisis erupted in 2016 when Cameroon’s Anglophone minority launched a campaign calling for greater autonomy and was rejected by Biya. From that point onward, the situation deteriorated, resulting in deaths and displacement, culminating in a “declaration of independence” proclaimed in October 2017 in a territory referred to as Ambazonia. At the height of the crisis, mediation by the Holy See was also requested.

The Church remains present in Cameroon and carries out extensive work. Leo XIV recalled that he is the third pope to visit the country, following two visits by St. John Paul II and one by Pope Benedict XVI. In 1995, John Paul II chose Yaoundé, the country’s capital, to promulgate the postsynodal apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in Africa, which emerged from the Synod for Africa.

‘A hunger and thirst for justice’

This was the backdrop of Leoʼs address on April 15, which was not only as a message of peace but also an encouragement to Catholics in Cameroon to continue building the common good.

“I come among you as a shepherd and as a servant of dialogue, fraternity, and peace,” he said. “We are living, in fact, at a time when hopelessness is rampant and a sense of powerlessness tends to paralyze the renewal so deeply desired by peoples. There is such a hunger and thirst for justice! A thirst for getting involved, for a vision, for courageous choices and for peace!”

The pope expressed his desire to reach everyone, especially the young, “who are called to help shape a world that is more just, including in the political sphere.” He recalled the visits of his predecessors and asked where the country stands today, quoting St. Augustine: “Those who rule serve those whom they seem to command; for they rule not from a love of power but from a sense of the duty they owe to others — not because they are proud of authority, but because they love mercy.”

From this perspective, he said, serving one’s country means dedicating oneself, with clarity of mind and upright conscience, to the common good of all people, including both the majority and minorities, and their mutual harmony.

Leo acknowledged that Cameroon is facing complex difficulties. Violence and tensions in the northwest, southwest, and far north regions have caused profound suffering: lives lost, families displaced, children deprived of education. In response, he recalled his appeal to reject violence and war and to embrace peace founded on love and justice: “A peace that is unarmed, that is, not based on fear, threats or weapons, and at the same time disarming, because it is capable of resolving conflicts, opening hearts, and generating trust, empathy, and hope.”

“Peace cannot be reduced to a slogan: It must be embodied in a way of life that renounces all forms of violence, both personally and institutionally,” the pontiff continued. He forcefully reiterated that “the world is thirsting for peace… Enough of war, with all the pain it causes through death, destruction, and exile!”

“Peace, in fact, cannot be decreed: It must be embraced and lived. It is a gift from God, which unfolds through patient and collective effort. It is everyone’s responsibility, beginning with civil authorities,” he said. To govern, the pope added, means to love one’s own country and neighboring countries, applying the commandment “love your neighbor as yourself” even to international relations. Governing also means truly listening to citizens and valuing their ability to help build lasting solutions. In this context, he recalled Pope Francis’ call to move beyond “the idea of social policies being a policy for the poor, but never with the poor and never of the poor, much less part of a project which can bring people back together.”

Civil society, the pope stressed, must be recognized as a vital force for national cohesion. “Cameroon is ready for this transition!” Associations, women’s and youth organizations, trade unions, humanitarian nongovernmental organizations, and traditional and religious leaders, he said, play an irreplaceable role in social peace. They are often the first to intervene during tensions, to assist the displaced, support victims, open spaces for dialogue, and encourage local mediation. Their closeness to communities allows them to identify the root causes of conflict and appropriate solutions.

Leo expressed particular gratitude for women, who are frequently the first victims of prejudice and violence yet remain tireless peacemakers. Their commitment to education, mediation, and rebuilding the social fabric curbs corruption and abuse of power and requires that their voices be fully recognized in decision‑making processes.

Transparency in managing public resources and respect for the rule of law, he said, are essential to restoring trust.

‘Integral human development’

Addressing those in positions of authority, Leo XIV spoke of a twofold witness: collaboration among institutions in service of the people, especially the poor, and integrity of personal conduct. To allow peace and justice to flourish, he said, the chains of corruption must be broken and hearts freed from idolatrous pursuit of profit. True profit lies in integral human development.

Looking ahead, the Holy Father highlighted Cameroon’s human, cultural, and spiritual resources and emphasized that “young people represent the hope of the country and of the Church. Their energy and creativity are priceless treasures.” While unemployment and exclusion can fuel frustration and violence, investing in education, training, and entrepreneurship, he said, is a strategic path to peace and the only way to stem the loss of talent and counter the scourges of drugs, prostitution, and apathy.

Cameroonian youth, he added, possess a “deep spirituality that still resists the homogenizing influence of the market.”

Through its educational, health care, and charitable efforts, the Catholic Church in Cameroon wishes to continue serving all without distinction, collaborating with civil authorities and strengthening ties between Cameroonians worldwide and their communities of origin, the pope concluded.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Leo, speaking in English, expressed his “gratitude to all the authorities in Algeria, who made this visit possible. As youʼve seen, theyʼve even granted us the full honor of an escort as we fly over Algerian airspace.”

This, the pope said, is “a sign of the goodness, of the generosity, of the respect that the Algerian people and the Algerian government have wished to show to the Holy See, to myself. And so I want to say a word of thanks to them, as well as a word of thanks to the very small but very significant presence of the Catholic Church in Algeria.”

The pontiff then reflected on the journey.

“We had, as you know,” he said, “some very special visits both in the Basilica Notre Dame dʼAfrique as well as in Annaba yesterday, in the Basilica of St. Augustine on the hill overlooking both the modern city of Annaba and the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Ippona. And that in itself, I would say, is also symbolically significant, because St. Augustine, who was bishop, as you know, of Hippo for more than 30 years, actually is a figure which is very much from the past and speaks to us of tradition, speaks to us of the life, the Church, as the Church grew in the early centuries.”

Continuing to speak about St. Augustine, Leo said that he is “a very important figure today as his writings, his teaching, his spirituality, his invitation to search for God and to search for truth is something that is very much needed today — a message that is very real for all of us today, as believers in Jesus Christ, but for all people. And as youʼve seen, even the people of Algeria, the vast majority of whom are not Christian, they very much honor and respect the memory of St. Augustine as one of the great sons of their land."

"So it was a special blessing for me personally to return once again to Annaba yesterday," he said, "but also to offer to the Church and the world a vision that St. Augustine offers us in terms of the search for God and the struggle to build community, to seek for unity among all peoples and respect for all peoples in spite of the differences.”

The pope concluded: “In two days in Algeria I think weʼve really had a wonderful opportunity to, if you will, continue to build bridges, to promote dialogue. I think the visit to the mosque was significant and to say that it showed that although we have different beliefs, we have different ways of worshipping, we have different ways of living, we can live together in peace. And so I think that promoting that kind of image is something which the world needs to hear today, and that together we can continue to offer in our witness through as we continue on this apostolic voyage.”

Pope Leo XIV is the third pope to visit Cameroon.

Leo will first meet with 92-year-old President Biya, elected to an eighth term and in power for 40 years. After his address to the diplomatic corps — a standard stop at the beginning of every trip — the pope will visit the Ngul Zamba orphanage, a historic point of reference for the care and education of orphaned children and minors in situations of serious social vulnerability.

In addition to Yaoundé, Leo XIV will also visit the city of Bamenda, around 230 miles from the capital, at the center of the Anglophone crisis — a complex situation in which English-speaking separatists have also called for the formation of their own state.

The pope will also visit Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital, thus touching all the major realities of the country before departing for Angola on April 18.

A statement from the Order of St. Augustine said the meeting reflected the joy of brothers dwelling together in unity.

“After visiting the ruins of Hippo and the home of the Little Sisters of the Poor, the pope arrives in Annaba as a brother among brothers,” the statement said. “Here he meets the Augustinian friars who care for the Basilica of St. Augustine, sharing with them one common heart rooted in the spirit of St. Augustine of Hippo.”

The gathering was marked by a shared meal, smiles, and fraternity, according to the statement.

Also present with the pontiff were Father Joseph Farrell, prior general of the Order of St. Augustine, and Father Martin Davakan, OSA, vicar general.

The statement highlighted the international character of the Augustinian community in Annaba, saying it reflects unity amid the diversity of nations.

“The community of Annaba (Hippo) itself reflects this diversity, with the presence of Father Dominic Juma Habakuk from South Sudan, Father Shailong Leviticus Longzem from Nigeria, and the rector, Father Frederick Wekesa from Kenya,” the statement said. “They are brothers, coming from different lands, but united in heart and soul.”

Father Augustine Ugbomah, who serves in the Pontifical Sacristy, was also present.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, EWTN News’ Italian-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Holy Father is scheduled to continue his visit with trips to Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Cameroon on his first apostolic journey to the continent lasting April 13–23.

Here is a look at the popeʼs time in Algeria in photos:

The basilica, dedicated to the bishop of ancient Hippo, was built between 1881 and 1907 at the initiative of Algiers Archbishop Charles-Martial-Allemand Lavigerie and was elevated to the rank of minor basilica on April 24, 1914, by Pope Pius X. Restoration work was completed in 2013, with support that included a personal donation from Pope Benedict XVI.

In his homily, the pope reflected on the Gospel account of Jesus’ nighttime encounter with Nicodemus, presenting it as a summons to renewal for the whole Church and especially for Algeria’s Christian community.

“Today we listen to the Gospel, the good news for all time, in this basilica in Annaba dedicated to St. Augustine, bishop of the ancient city of Hippo,” the pope said. “Over the centuries, the names of the places that welcome us have changed, but the saints continue to serve as our patrons and faithful witnesses of a connection to the land that comes from heaven.”

Leo said Jesus’ words to Nicodemus — “You must be born from above” — are not a burden but an invitation to freedom and new life in God.

“Such is the invitation for every man and woman who seeks salvation!” he said. “Jesus’ invitation gives rise to the mission of the whole Church, and consequently to the Christian community in Algeria: to be born again from above, that is, from God. In this perspective, faith overcomes earthly hardships and the Lord’s grace makes the desert blossom.”

The pope acknowledged that Christ’s command can sound impossible at first but said it reveals God’s power to renew human life.

“On the contrary, the obligation expressed by Jesus is a gift of freedom for us, because it reveals an unexpected possibility: We can be born anew from above thanks to God,” Leo said. “We should do so, then, according to his loving will, which desires to renew humanity by calling us to a communion of life that begins with faith. While Christ invites us to renew our lives completely, he also gives us the strength to do so.”

He then asked whether life can truly begin again and answered with hope rooted in the cross and Resurrection.

“Yes! The Lord’s response, so full of love, fills our hearts with hope,” the pope said. “No matter how weighed down we are by pain or sin: The crucified One carries all these burdens with us and for us. No matter how discouraged we are by our own weaknesses: It is precisely then that God manifests his strength, the God who has raised Christ from the dead in order to give life to the world.”

“Each one of us can experience the freedom of new life that comes from faith in the Redeemer,” he added. “Once again, St. Augustine offers us an example of this: We revere him for his conversion even more than for his wisdom.”

Turning to the Acts of the Apostles, Leo said the life of the early Church remains the model for genuine ecclesial reform.

“Even today, we must embrace this apostolic rule and put it into practice, meditating on it as an authentic criterion for ecclesial reform: a reform that must begin in the heart, if it is to be genuine, and must encompass everyone if it is to be effective,” he said.

The pope said the first Christian community was not founded on a merely human agreement but on communion in Christ.

“The early Church, therefore, was not based on a social contract but rather on the harmony of faith, affections, ideas, and life decisions centered on the love of God who became man to save all the peoples of the earth,” he said.

That unity, he said, must bear fruit in charity, especially amid poverty and oppression.

“Therefore, in the face of poverty and oppression, the guiding principle above all for Christians is charity: Let us do to those around us, as we would have them do to us,” Leo said. “Inspired by this law, inscribed in our hearts by God, the Church is continually reborn, for where there is despair she kindles hope, where there is misery she brings dignity, and where there is conflict she brings reconciliation.”

Addressing bishops and priests, the pope said pastors are called above all to bear witness to God without fear or compromise.

“The primary task of pastors as ministers of the Gospel is therefore to bear witness to God before the world with one heart and one soul, not permitting our concerns to lead us astray through fear, nor trends to undermine us through compromise,” he said.

“Together with you, brothers in the episcopate and the priesthood, let us constantly renew this mission for the sake of those entrusted to us, so that through her service, the whole Church may be a message of new life for those we encounter,” he added.

In his closing appeal, Leo addressed Algeria’s Christians directly, praising their fidelity and urging them to continue witnessing to the Gospel in ordinary life.

“Dearest Christians of Algeria, you remain a humble and faithful sign of Christ’s love in this land,” he said. “Bear witness to the Gospel through simple gestures, genuine relationships, and a dialogue lived out day by day: In this way, you bring flavor and light to the places where you live.”

He also praised their perseverance through hardship and invoked the example of the martyrs and of St. Augustine.

“Your history is one of generous hospitality and resilience in times of trial,” the pope said. “Here the martyrs prayed; here St. Augustine loved his flock, fervently seeking the truth and serving Christ with ardent faith. Be heirs to this tradition, bearing witness through fraternal charity to the freedom of those born from above as a hope of salvation for the world.”

Several cardinals concelebrated the Mass with the pope, including Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, archbishop of Algiers; Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, archbishop of Rabat; and curial cardinals Pietro Parolin, George Koovakad, Luis Antonio Tagle, Peter Turkson, and Robert Sarah. Also among the concelebrants were Archbishop Paul Gallagher and Father Joseph Farrell, prior general of the Augustinians.

Before the Mass, the pope visited the Augustinian community house and later had lunch with his confreres.

At the end of the celebration, Bishop Michel Jean-Paul Guillaud of Constantine offered words of thanks to the pope.

“Holy Father, your visit to this place, a source of your Augustinian roots, was brief, but it was an encouragement for us,” Guillaud said. “First of all, it strengthened our Christian community in its faith and in its trust in the goodwill and respect of the Algerian people. We could not have welcomed you without the support and active collaboration of the authorities and the joyful hospitality of our Algerian brothers and sisters.”

The exchange of gifts followed: The pope received a ceramic work made by an Algerian artist, and he in turn gave a chalice.

Leo then offered brief words of thanks of his own.

“This journey has been for me a particular gift of God’s providence, a gift that the Lord has wished to make to the whole Church,” the pope said. “And it seems to me that I can sum it up this way: God is love; he is the Father of all men and women. Let us return to God with humility…”

He continued: “We acknowledge that the current situation of the world is caught in a negative spiral that ultimately depends on our pride. We need him, we need his mercy, because only in him is the peace of the human heart found, and with him we will all be able to live together.”

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

In an address to the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the pontiff discussed authority in the context of Catholic social teaching and described it as grounded not in strength but in moral virtue.

“Catholic social teaching regards power not as an end in itself but as a means ordered toward the common good,” the pope wrote in his message. “This implies that the legitimacy of authority depends not on the accumulation of economic or technological strength but on the wisdom and virtue with which it is exercised.”

Leo’s message follows his remarks at a Vatican prayer vigil for peace on April 11, where he denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” among global leaders amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. In his letter, he criticized the imbalance of economic and military power among nations, calling it a threat to democracy.

“The concentration of technological, economic, and military power in a few hands threatens both democratic participation among peoples and international concord. Divine power does not dominate but rather heals and restores. It is precisely this logic of charity that must animate history, for human activity inspired by charity helps to shape the ‘earthly city’ in unity and peace,” Leo wrote.

Referring to Centesimus Annus, St. John Paul II’s encyclical on Catholic social teaching, Leo stated that legitimate power “finds one of its highest expressions in authentic democracy,” a democracy that recognizes human dignity and is not dominated by “economic and technological elites.”

“Far from being a mere procedure, democracy recognizes the dignity of every person and calls each citizen to participate responsibly in the pursuit of the common good,” Leo wrote. “Reflecting this conviction, St. John Paul II affirmed that the Church values democracy because it ensures participation in political choices and ‘the possibility both of electing and holding accountable those who govern them, and of replacing them through peaceful means when appropriate.’”

“In the light of faith, we know, conversely, that pain and illness can make a person wiser and more mature, helping him to discern in his own life what is not essential, in order to turn toward, or return to, the Lord,” Leo observed in a letter signed March 27 and published April 13 as he began his 11-day tour of Africa.

The Pontifical Biblical Commission, which is meeting April 13–17 in Vatican City, operates under the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and is based in Rome. Its annual plenary assemblies consistently take place in the Vatican.

The pope cited several passages from the Gospel in which Jesus’ compassion toward those in need and the sick is made manifest, such as when the Lord takes pity on a leper who asks to be healed, or on the two blind men he heals after they implore him to restore their sight.

“Christ’s compassion toward all who suffer is so profound that he himself identifies with them,” noted the pope, adding that Jesus “commanded his disciples to care for the sick, to lay hands upon them, and to bless them in his name.”

“Through the experience of fragility and illness, we too can and must learn to walk together, in human and Christian solidarity, in accordance with the way God does, which is [through] compassion, closeness, tenderness, and solidarity,” the pontiff said.

In his letter, he noted that human nature “bears inscribed within itself the reality of limitations and finitude.”

“Why illness? Why suffering? Why death? Faced with these questions, even believers sometimes falter, coming to experience bewilderment and even despair and rebellion against God,” he wrote to the assembled experts, whom he exhorted to shed light on life’s most difficult aspects in the light of sacred Scripture.

The commission consists of about 20-30 leading Catholic biblical scholars from around the world, appointed by the pope, who serve in scholarly and advisory capacities, helping the Church interpret and apply Scripture faithfully to contemporary questions.

The pope invited the experts to consider in their exegetical work — in addition to illness, physical pain, and death — “also the sufferings of the poor, of migrants, and of the marginalized in society, which are present in so many pages of sacred Scripture.”

Finally, he endorsed the initiative of the Pontifical Biblical Commission to study various biblical figures who suffered. “Taken together, they will certainly become a beautiful symbol of hope for every person who unites their sufferings to the crucified Christ, renewing the manifestation of his face of love,” the Holy Father wrote.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

In a letter to the members of the College of Cardinals dated April 12 and made public Tuesday, the Holy Father looked back on the first consistory of his pontificate, held Jan. 7–8, and highlighted the importance of the cardinals’ exchanges there.

“I greatly appreciate the work carried out in the groups, which facilitated free, concrete, and spiritually fruitful exchanges as well as the notable quality of the interventions made during the plenary,” Pope Leo wrote.

At that January meeting, the cardinals chose two of four topics proposed by the pope to guide their work. Setting aside the liturgical question — specifically the rite used before the Second Vatican Council — and the issue of relations between the Holy See and episcopal conferences, they opted to focus on “the mission of the Church in the world today” and on “synod and synodality as an instrument and style of collaboration.”

The pope also placed special emphasis on Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis’ first apostolic exhortation, published Nov. 24, 2013, and centered on proclaiming the kerygma — the Gospel with Christ at the center.

Referring to the cardinals’ contributions, Pope Leo said: “This exhortation continues to be a significant point of reference. In addition to introducing new content, it refocuses everything on the kerygma as the heart of our Christian and ecclesial identity.”

He added that it was recognized as “a ‘breath of fresh air,’ capable of initiating processes of pastoral and missionary conversion — rather than producing immediate structural reforms — and thus profoundly guiding the Church’s journey.”

The pope said this perspective challenges the Church at every level.

“On a personal level, it calls every baptized person to renew their encounter with Christ, moving from a faith merely received to a faith truly lived and experienced,” he wrote. “This journey affects the very quality of spiritual life, expressed in the primacy of prayer, in the witness that precedes words, and in the coherence between faith and life.”

At the community level, he said, the Church must move “from a pastoral approach of maintenance to one of mission.”

“This requires communities to be living agents of the proclamation — welcoming communities that use accessible language, attentive to the quality of relationships, and capable of offering places for listening, accompaniment, and healing,” he wrote.

At the diocesan level, Pope Leo stressed the duty of bishops and priests to foster missionary zeal.

“The responsibility of pastors to resolutely support missionary boldness emerges clearly, ensuring that such boldness is not weighed down or stifled by organizational excesses but is guided by a discernment that helps us to recognize what is essential,” he said.

The pope also underlined a Christ-centered understanding of mission, one that spreads “through attraction rather than conquest.”

“It is an integral mission, holding in balance explicit proclamation, witness, commitment, and dialogue, and yielding neither to the temptation of proselytism nor to a merely institutional mentality of preservation or expansion,” he wrote. “Even when the Church finds herself in a minority, she is called to live with confident courage, as a small flock bringing hope to all, mindful that the aim of mission is not its own survival but the communication of the love with which God loves the world.”

Among the proposals that emerged from the January consistory, the pope said several deserve further reflection. These include “the need to relaunch Evangelii Gaudium through an honest assessment of what has actually been embraced over the years and what, by contrast, remains unfamiliar or unimplemented,” with particular attention to “the necessary reforms of the processes of Christian initiation.”

He also pointed to “the importance of valuing apostolic and pastoral visits as authentic opportunities for kerygmatic proclamation and for a growth in the quality of relationships” and called for a reassessment of Church communications — including at the level of the Holy See — “from a more explicitly missionary perspective.”

The letter concludes with the formal announcement of the next consistory, to be held June 26–27, with further details to come later to help cardinals prepare.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

After leaving the archaeological site of Hippo, the pope traveled to the home run by the Little Sisters of the Poor, where he visited residents and greeted those gathered there.

“I am pleased to make this visit because God dwells here,” Leo said. “Indeed, wherever there is love and service, God is there.”

The pope thanked the Little Sisters of the Poor, the home’s staff, Mother Philomena, and Archbishop Emeritus Paul Desfarges of Algiers.

“Having listened to you, and seeing your presence here amongst our elderly brothers and sisters, it is natural to praise God and give thanks to him,” the pope said to Desfarges. “Just as Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said: ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.’”

Leo also thanked Salah Bouchemel, an elderly Algerian Muslim, for what he called a “beautiful and comforting” testimony.

“I think that the Lord, looking down from heaven upon a house like this, where people strive to live together in fraternity, would say, ‘There is hope!’” the pope said.

“Yes, because God’s heart is torn apart by wars, violence, injustice, and lies. But our Father’s heart is not with the wicked, the arrogant or the proud. God’s heart is with the little ones, with the humble, and with them he builds up his kingdom of love and peace day by day, just as you are striving to do here in your daily service, in your friendship and life together.”

The pope concluded by thanking those present for the gathering.

“I will keep you in my prayers and I gladly impart my blessing,” he said.

Later Tuesday afternoon, Leo was scheduled to conclude his visit to Hippo by celebrating Mass at the Basilica of St. Augustine before returning to Algiers.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

After a flight of about an hour, Leo arrived in the city most closely associated with St. Augustine, who served as bishop of Hippo from 396 to 430. For the pope, a son of St. Augustine, the visit marked a homecoming of sorts.

It was in Hippo that St. Augustine died at about age 75 while the city was under siege by the Vandals. His remains were first buried in the basilica there. To protect them from desecration, Augustine’s body was later moved first to Cagliari and then, around 723, transferred to Pavia by the Lombard king Liutprand. His relics are now venerated in the Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, which Pope Leo is scheduled to visit on June 20.

Over the centuries after Augustine’s death, Annaba — once Hippo — was conquered first by the Byzantines and later destroyed by the Arabs in the seventh century before being rebuilt under the name Annaba.

Among the surviving remains from the Roman era are the paved forum surrounded by columned porticoes, the theater, the market, Severan baths, cisterns, and figurative mosaics. Christian-era elements also remain, including the Basilica Pacis, where St. Augustine carried out his episcopal ministry, and its adjoining baptistery.

Upon arriving at the archaeological site, Pope Leo XIV was greeted by a local official. Despite driving rain and a shorter visit than originally planned because of the weather, the pope walked through the ruins and, at the end of the route, laid a wreath of flowers.

The choir of the Annaba Institute of Music then performed songs in Latin, Berber, and Arabic based on texts by St. Augustine dedicated to peace and fraternity. After a brief prayer, the pope departed the archaeological site.

Leo was then set to continue to the Little Sisters of the Poor’s home for the elderly, where he was to stop briefly to greet residents.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

“It is with profound joy and fatherly affection that I meet with you today, you whose discrete and precious presence in this land is marked by an ancient heritage and by luminous witnesses of the faith," Pope Leo said after listening to several testimonies.

"Your community has deep roots indeed. You are the heirs of a host of witnesses who gave their lives, motivated by love for God and neighbor," he continued. "I am particularly reminded of the 19 men and women religious who were martyred in Algeria, choosing to stand alongside this people in its joys and sorrows. Their blood is a living seed that never ceases to bear fruit.”

After fulfilling the more formal engagements — beginning with the late‑morning meeting with the president of the Algerian Republic, authorities, and the diplomatic corps — Leo on Monday afternoon received the embrace of the Algerian Catholic community, present despite heavy rain.

At the opening of the meeting, the pope knelt in adoration in front of a tabernacle containing the Eucharist.

“You are also heirs to a still more ancient tradition, dating back to the early centuries of Christianity," he said in a speech delivered in French. "In this land resounded the fervent voice of Augustine of Hippo, preceded by the testimony of his mother, St. Monica, and of other saints. Their memory shines as a call to be authentic signs of communion, dialogue, and peace today."

“To all of you, dear friends, and to those who are not able to be present but are following this meeting from afar,“ he added, ”I express my gratitude for your daily commitment to manifest the maternal heart of the Church.”

After thanking Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga and a religious sister, Pentecostal student, basilica guide, and Muslim woman who had spoken, the pope invited those present to reflect on three essential aspects of Christian life.

“First, prayer. We all need to pray. … Prayer unites, humanizes, strengthens, and purifies the heart. Through prayer, the Church in Algeria sows humanity, unity, strength, and purity, reaching places known only to the Lord," he said.

Turning to charity, Leo emphasized that mercy and service are not merely practical assistance but places of grace and mutual growth.

“After all, it is precisely love for their brothers and sisters that inspired the witness of the martyrs we have commemorated. In the face of hatred and violence, they remained faithful to charity even to the point of sacrificing themselves alongside many other men and women, Christians and Muslims. They did so without ostentation or fanfare, with serenity and steadfastness, neither falling into presumption nor despair, for they knew the One in whom they had placed their trust.”

Addressing peace and unity, Pope Leo recalled that this was the central theme of his visit.

“In a world where division and wars sow pain and death among nations, in communities, and even within families, your experience of unity and peace is a compelling sign. Together, you spread fraternity and inspire a deep longing for communion and reconciliation with a powerful and clear message that is borne in simplicity and humility," the pope said.

“A considerable part of this country’s territory is desert, and in the desert, no one can survive alone. The hostile environment dispels any presumptions of self‑sufficiency, reminding us that we need one another, and that we need God,“ he said. ”When we acknowledge our fragility, our hearts become open to supporting one another and to invoking the One who can grant what no human power can ensure: the profound reconciliation of hearts and, with it, true peace.”

Before reaching the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa, Pope Leo XIV stopped at the Great Mosque of Algiers and earlier at the center of hospitality and friendship of the Augustinian Missionary Sisters in Bab El Oued.

There, the pope paid homage to the memory of several religious sisters of this community killed during the civil war in the 1990s. After praying with the sisters and listening to the words of their superior, Leo XIV recalled the martyrs as a precious presence in the land and as a sign of the heart of Augustinian life: witness, even unto martyrdom.

“Your presence here means a great deal,” the Holy Father said, recalling a previous visit and highlighting the legacy of St. Augustine in the region: promoting respect for the dignity of every person and affirming that it is possible to live in peace while valuing differences.

Before departing, he thanked the sisters and encouraged them to persevere, recalling that the feast of the 19 martyrs of Algeria falls on May 8 — the day of his election.

Tomorrow, Pope Leo XIV will make what he described as a true return to his roots, with a visit to Hippo, where St. Augustine — founder of the order to which the pope belongs — served as bishop from A.D. 396 to 430.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Peace remained the central theme of the pope’s first day in Algeria, following his earlier stop at the Martyrs’ Memorial, where he delivered an appeal for peace and reconciliation.

Speaking in French at the Djamaa el Djazair Conference Center, Leo recalled his previous visits to Algeria in 2001 and 2013 to Annaba, the ancient see of St. Augustine, whose spiritual legacy has long shaped the Augustinian order to which the pope belongs.

“I am here among you as a pilgrim of peace, eager to meet the noble Algerian people,” the pope said. “We are brothers and sisters, for we have the same Father in heaven.”

Leo said the “profound religious sense of the Algerian people” fosters “a culture of encounter and reconciliation,” adding that his visit also seeks to be a sign of that spirit.

“In a world full of conflicts and misunderstandings, let us meet and strive for mutual understanding, recognizing that we are one family!” he said. “Today, the simplicity of this awareness is the key to opening many doors that are closed.”

Addressing an audience of about 1,400 people from civil society and the diplomatic corps, the pope praised the resilience of the Algerian people, saying they had never been defeated by their trials because of their spirit of solidarity, hospitality, and community.

“They are the truly strong ones, to whom the future belongs: those who do not allow themselves to be blinded by power or wealth, and those who refuse to sacrifice the dignity of their fellow citizens for the sake of personal or collective gain,” he said.

Leo also highlighted the Algerian understanding of hospitality and almsgiving, reflected in the word “sadaka,” which he noted can also mean justice.

“The one who accumulates wealth and remains indifferent to others is unjust,” the pope said, calling this vision of justice both “simple and radical” because it recognizes the image of God in others. “Indeed, a religion without mercy and a society without solidarity are a scandal in God’s eyes.”

At the same time, he warned that many societies that consider themselves advanced are falling ever deeper into inequality and exclusion, while “people and organizations that dominate others destroy the world.” He said Africa knows this reality well and suggested that Algeria’s historical experience gives it a critical perspective on global power balances.

“If you are able to engage in dialogue regarding the concerns of all and show solidarity with the sufferings of so many countries near and far, then you will be able to contribute to both envisioning and bringing about greater justice among peoples,” Leo said.

He added that this task is especially urgent “in the face of continuous violations of international law and neocolonial tendencies.”

Drawing on the teaching of Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, Leo called on Algeria’s authorities not to fear a broader social participation by those on the margins.

“I therefore urge those of you who hold positions of authority in this country not to fear this outlook but to promote a vibrant, dynamic, and free civil society, in which young people in particular are recognized as capable of helping to broaden the horizon of hope for all,” he said.

“The true strength of a nation lies in the cooperation of everyone in pursuing the common good,” he continued. “Authorities are called not to dominate but to serve the people and foster their development.”

The pope also pointed to Algeria’s unique role as “a bridge between North and South, and between East and West,” describing the Mediterranean and the Sahara as geographical and spiritual crossroads rich with human and cultural meaning.

“Woe to us if we turn them into graveyards where hope also dies!” he said. “Let us multiply oases of peace; let us denounce and remove the causes of despair; and let us oppose those who profit from the misfortune of others!”

“For illicit are the gains of those who exploit human life, whose dignity is inviolable,” he added.

Leo then broadened his reflection to the place of religion in modern society, noting that Algeria, like much of the world, experiences tensions between religious sensibility and modern life. He warned against both fundamentalism and secularization when they distort the true sense of God and human dignity.

“Religious symbols and words can become, on the one hand, blasphemous languages of violence and oppression, or on the other, empty signs in the immense marketplace of consumption that does not satisfy us,” he said.

Still, the pope insisted that such polarization should not lead to despair.

“We must educate people in critical thinking and freedom, in listening and dialogue, and in the trust that leads us to recognize in those who are different fellow travelers and not threats,” he said. “We must work toward the healing of memory and reconciliation among former adversaries.”

In his introduction, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called Leo’s presence the first visit of a pope to Algeria and said it gave the occasion “a unique resonance.” He invoked both St. Augustine and Emir Abdelkader as enduring models at a time of accelerating change and weakening moral values.

Tebboune also praised the pope’s moral authority and his support for social justice while reaffirming Algeria’s commitment to working with the Holy Father to promote dialogue, coexistence, and cooperation over division and conflict.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.