Pope Leo urged young people and families to embrace reconciliation and lead with dignity as he spoke at Bata Stadium in Equatorial Guinea on the final day of his Africa tour.
The U.S.-born pontiff encouraged worshippers to respect family life and deepen their faith, saying acts of charity rooted in these values could help transform societies.
“The future is yours,” Leo told the crowds, echoing words first spoken by Saint John Paul II during his 1982 visit, when he called on citizens to reconcile and respect the rights of all. Pope Leo said those values remain relevant today.
He later visited a prison in the city of Bata, where detainees are often held for years without access to lawyers, according to Amnesty International. Before the visit, a government spokesperson insisted the country treats prisoners fairly in line with United Nations standards: “We are committed to guaranteeing human rights, fundamental rights, and citizenship.”
Leo listened to testimonies from prisoners gathered in a yard inside the facility. As he left, some detainees jumped up and down in the rain, shouting “freedom, freedom.”
The pope also prayed on Wednesday at the site of explosions at a military barracks in Bata in 2021 that killed more than 100 people, which the government blamed on poor storage of ordnance.
More than 70% of Equatorial Guinea’s population of 1.8 million identify as Catholic.
Leo, the first pope to visit the country since 1982, is nearing the end of one of the most complex overseas tours undertaken by a pontiff. He has travelled nearly 18,000 km (11,185 miles) across 18 flights to 11 cities in four countries.
On Sunday, he was in Angola, where he urged around 130,000 people to move beyond decades of division following a civil war from 1975 to 2002.
In Cameroon, tens of thousands of worshippers filled a stadium in Douala. “It is time to examine our conscience and take a bold leap forward,” Leo said.
The visit drew large crowds, many dressed in bright fabrics printed with his image. “It is a moment of great joy,” said Bishop of Obala, Leopold Bayemi Matjei. “Our country needs blessing, a powerful blessing, so that hope can rise again,” he added.
In unusually direct remarks in Cameroon, the pope criticised leaders who spend vast sums on war, warning that the world is “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.” He also condemned the use of religious language to justify conflict, calling for a “decisive change of course.”
Leo also became the first pontiff to visit Algeria, where he met Muslim leaders in a bid to strengthen interfaith cooperation. Algeria is predominantly Muslim but has a small and significant Catholic population.
Africa has the fastest-growing Catholic population, according to Vatican statistics. Leo and Church officials hope the tour will draw greater global attention to the continent.
“Pope Leo’s visit will remind the world that Africa matters and the vibrancy of the Church in Africa remains at the heart of a thriving global Church,” said Reverend Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, a Jesuit from Nigeria who led his order’s communities across Africa from 2017 to 2023.
Read more about his Africa tour:
Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant may continue operating at reduced capacity until Tuesday, temporarily easing pressure on the country’s electric...
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has said Tehran is not currently involved in direct talks with Washington about reopening the St...
Myanmar's detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi met with a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday, after years of ...
A tourist aircraft crashed near Peru's UNESCO-listed Nazca Lines on Saturday (1 August), killing all 13 people on board, authorities said.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has said Tehran is not currently involved in direct talks with Washington about reopening the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran were to begin on Monday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said late on Saturday he would hold off on a fresh attack on Iran as long as a deal could be reached quickly to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Two firefighting helicopters collided while battling a major wildfire in Greece on Sunday, killing two crew members as emergency services continued efforts to contain fires fuelled by extreme heat and dry conditions across Europe.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said wildfires that swept across France were now under control. Authorities warned that risks remained as Greece and Spain continued battling active blazes across parts of Europe.
Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant may continue operating at reduced capacity until Tuesday, temporarily easing pressure on the country’s electricity grid during an intense heatwave.
Myanmar's detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi met with a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday, after years of questions over the health and well-being of the 81-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Indonesian rescue teams are searching for 28 people still unaccounted for, three days after a passenger ferry caught fire off the coast of Madura island.
17 Gaming won the PUBG: Battlegrounds title at the Games of the Future 2026 in Astana after a closely fought tournament that was decided in the 15th and final match.
Cuba faced another nationwide blackout after its electricity grid failed, deepening an energy crisis tied to fuel shortages and U.S. sanctions.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment