By OSV News
Pope Leo XIV concluded his first trip to Africa April 23, capping a four-country visit marked by urgent calls for peace, direct engagement with conflict zones and a backdrop of international political tension.
The pope met civil and religious leaders, celebrated public Masses and encouraged Catholics to remain steadfast witnesses to the Gospel.

– Algeria –
Pope Leo’s 11-day trip began with an unexpected controversy after U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the pope as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.” The remarks followed the pope’s criticism of the Iran war and his call for peace.
“I have no fear, neither of the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do,” Pope Leo said to journalist aboard the papal flight.
“‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ is the message that the world needs to hear today.”
Despite the dispute, Pope Leo struck a positive tone before landing, saying he was “very happy to visit the land of St. Augustine again.”
In Algiers, he visited the Great Mosque and later the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa, calling the encounter a sign “that we can learn to respect one another, live in harmony and build a world of peace.”
On April 14, in Annaba, near the ruins of ancient Hippo Regius, Pope Leo urged Christians to follow St. Augustine’s example of seeking truth and serving Christ.
Celebrating Mass at the Basilica of St. Augustine, he urged Christians to follow the saint’s example, “fervently seeking the truth and serving Christ with ardent faith.”
– Cameroon –
During his flight to Cameroon, Pope Leo reflected on Algeria as “a special blessing,” noting that St. Augustine’s life offers a vision of unity and respect across differences.
That message carried into Cameroon, a country scarred by separatist violence. Addressing authorities in Yaoundé, the pope acknowledged the suffering caused by conflict in the English-speaking northwest and southwest regions.
Since 2017, fighting between separatist militias and government forces has killed more than 6,500 people and displaced over 500,000.
“Behind the numbers are the faces, stories and shattered hopes of real people,” the pope said.
Days before his arrival, separatist groups declared a three-day ceasefire.
The highlight of the April 15–18 stop was the pope’s visit to Bamenda, in the heart of the conflict zone. At St. Joseph’s Cathedral, the pope was met with enthusiasm after declaring, “I am here to proclaim peace.”
After hearing testimony from local residents, the pope strongly condemned violence carried out in God’s name.
“But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain,” he said, warning against dragging what is sacred “into darkness and filth.”
Celebrating Mass for 20,000 people at Bamenda’s airport, he urged “This is the moment to change, to transform the story of this country.”
“The time has come, today and not tomorrow.” He called on Cameroonians to “restore the mosaic of unity” by embracing the country’s diversity.
On April 17, he celebrated Mass in Douala for an estimated 120,000 faithful, urging Africans to share God’s love by serving those in need.
– Angola –
While the pope’s warning to those who use God to justify violence resonated with suffering Cameroonians in Bamenda, several media outlets insinuated that he was making an indirect dig at Trump.
En route to Angola, Pope Leo clarified that his remarks in Cameroon had been prepared weeks earlier and were not directed at the U.S. president.
“My speeches were written well before the president ever commented,” he said. “It is not in my interest to debate,” adding “there has been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all its aspects.”
Arriving in Luanda, he shifted focus to Angola’s challenges and the Church’s role in offering hope. The country continues to struggle with inequality, corruption and a civil war that claimed up to 800,000 lives.
Addressing government leaders, the pope urged them to prioritize the common good; and warned against abuses of power and exploitation.
On April 19, Pope Leo celebrated Mass for about 100,000 faithful in Kilamba. Reflecting on the Gospel story of the road to Emmaus, he cautioned against despair in societies marked by prolonged suffering.
“When one is long immersed in a history characterized by pain, one can risk losing hope and remaining paralyzed by discouragement,” he said.
Afterward, he traveled to the Sanctuary of Mama Muxima, southern Africa’s most visited Catholic shrine, where tens of thousands had gathered.
On April 20, the pope flew east to Saurimo, near Angola’s largest diamond mine. There, he visited a nursing home housing 74 elderly residents, many rejected by their families.
“The elderly must not only be assisted, but listened to, because they preserve the wisdom of a people,” he said.
Celebrating Mass for tens of thousands, the pope also addressed exploitation linked to the diamond industry.
“How often the hope of many is frustrated by violence, exploited by the overbearing and defrauded by the rich,” he said.
“We were not born to become slaves,” he added. “Every form of oppression, violence and dishonesty negates the resurrection of Christ, the supreme gift of our freedom.”
– Equatorial Guinea –
The final leg of Pope Leo’s 11-day journey took him to Equatorial Guinea. Upon landing on the island of Malabo, the pope was welcomed by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has ruled the Central African nation since seizing power in a 1979 coup.
Nevertheless, in his address to the country’s civil authorities, the pope appealed for justice and ethical governance in a country long criticized for corruption and human rights abuses.
Citing St. Augustine’s “The City of God,” Pope Leo contrasted a society rooted in love and service with one driven by power and self-interest.
“Every human being can benefit from the ancient realization of living on earth as a pilgrim,” he said.
Celebrating Mass April 22 at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in the eastern city of Mongomo, the second-largest Catholic Church in Africa, the pope renewed his call to the country’s leaders and citizens to prioritize the common good.
“May the Lord help you to become a society in which everyone, each according to their respective responsibilities, works ever more fully to serve the common good rather than private interests, bridging the gap between the privileged and the disadvantaged,” he said.
In his final Mass in Malabo Stadium April 23, Pope Leo offered a word of hope to the country’s Catholics, urging them to seek strength, justice and hope from the Gospel and the sacraments.
As the Mass concluded, the pope bid farewell to the African continent, saying that his visit was “an invaluable treasure of faith, hope, and charity.”
Highlighting the continent’s significance, the pope said that “today, Africa is called to contribute significantly to the holiness and missionary character of the Christian people.”
“I entrust this intention to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, to whom I commend myself wholeheartedly, as well as your families, your communities, your nation, and all the peoples of Africa,” the pope said.