Overview
- Pope Leo XIV, speaking at his Wednesday General Audience, said his April 13–23 visit to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea was a “message of peace” during a time of war and violations of international law.
- He highlighted Cameroon’s stop in Bamenda, an Anglophone region scarred by a long separatist conflict, and urged people there to work together for reconciliation and peace.
- Recounting Equatorial Guinea, he described a striking moment in Bata prison where inmates sang, asked him to pray for their sins and freedom, and joined him in the Our Father in heavy rain.
- Reflecting on Angola, he said hope requires concrete action and pledged the Church’s ongoing help, especially in healthcare and education, for communities hungry for justice.
- He said beginning in Algeria, where St. Augustine lived, rooted the trip in shared history and strengthened ties with the Islamic world, adding that an Africa journey had been a goal since the start of his pontificate.