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Pope Leo XIV Takes Anti-Corruption Push To Angola’s Diamond Northeast After 100,000-Strong Mass

His push in Angola centers on reconciliation, clean governance, fair sharing of mineral wealth.

Overview

  • After Sunday’s 100,000-person Mass in Kilamba near Luanda, Pope Leo prayed the Rosary at Mamã Muxima, a major shrine whose 16th‑century church was linked to the trans‑Atlantic slave trade.
  • The pope flies Monday to Saurimo in Lunda Sul for an open‑air Mass expected to draw about 30,000 people and a visit to a home for the elderly.
  • In homilies and meetings he urged Angolans to overcome civil‑war divisions and to heal the wound of corruption by building a culture of justice and sharing.
  • He condemned plunder of Africa’s resources and called out rulers who enrich a few while people suffer, pressing leaders to serve the public rather than corporate interests.
  • Angola ranks among Africa’s top oil and diamond producers, yet about a third of its 36.6 million people live in poverty; Saurimo lies near the Catoca mine, which yields roughly three‑quarters of the nation’s diamonds.