Pope Leo XIV’s first visit to Africa was intended to set an example and send a clear message of peace to the world. That was the message from church circles at the start of the Pope’s visit to four African countries.
On Thursday, after ten days on the continent, Leo began his return journey to Vatican City.
Cameroon: criticism of the warring parties
In many of the places the Pope visited, his followers welcomed him with great joy. In Douala, Cameroon’s largest city, they held mass celebrations at the Japoma stadium.
Frank Fokou, a Cameroon-based political scientist, said he was glad the pope did not shy away from difficult issues of governance in the country.
“We understood the Holy Father’s appeal as a reminder to the government to respect human rights. He told us that we should not use violence to harass the population, but should remember that violence must ensure peace,” he told DW.
Cameroon is ruled by 93-year-old Paul Biya, who is now in his eighth term. Rights groups such as Amnesty International have expressed concerns about the human rights situation in the country under Biya’s rule.
For years, a violent conflict has smoldered between separatists in the English-speaking northwest and southwest regions and the French-speaking central government in the capital, Yaoundé.
The separatists declared a ceasefire lasting several days during the Pope’s visit to Cameroon.
In his sermon, the Pope had strong words on the warring sides, which was greeted with applause.
He told his audience, “Warlords behave as if they do not know that even a moment is enough to destroy; but often a whole lifetime is not enough to rebuild.”
Leo recalls the Pope’s past visits
Peace is a recurring theme that particularly inspires civil society organizations, and Sophie Estelle Gouleau, president of the Policemen’s Wives Association in Cameroon, sees it as a roadmap for the future.
He said, “The Holy Father said: There are too many wars in the world. Women, youth and civil society play a decisive role in maintaining social unity.”
Cameroonian pastor Daniel Belong said the church’s messages influence him.
“The Pope’s visit means a lot for us in Cameroon, not only for Catholics, but also for people of other religions,” he said.
“Especially the encounter with Muslims was very promising,” he told DW. “Our world cannot exist without dialogue, and for interreligious dialogue, it is very important that Christians and Muslims in Africa are able to engage in dialogue.”
Leo also remembers the travels of his predecessors.
“John Paul II, the messenger of hope; Benedict XVI, who stressed the importance of justice and the moral responsibility of those in power,” he said, before drawing a connection to the present.
“So we can ask ourselves: Where do we stand? What remains to be done?”
Algeria: interreligious dialogue
However, the Pope began his four-nation tour in Algeria, a Muslim-majority country. He visited the Great Mosque of Algiers, the third largest mosque in the world, and called for mutual respect between Muslims and Christians.
According to Fredson Guillengue, a political scientist at the Rosa Luxembourg Foundation in Johannesburg, in Cameroon, as in Algeria, the Pope sought to promote dialogue between different communities and social solidarity.
“The purpose of the Pope’s visit to the African continent is to strengthen the presence of the Catholic Church on the continent,” Guillengue told DW. He said 20% of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics live on the African continent. “This number is increasing.”
In Angola and Equatorial Guinea, Guillengue sees a “certain similarity” between Leo’s words and those chosen by his predecessor, Pope Francis, during a visit to Mozambique in 2019.
“The focus here is on trying to promote peace and reconciliation,” the Mozambican scholar said.
However, above all, it is about denouncing exploitation and corruption by the elite. Demonstrations and strikes are taking place in the country against Prime Minister Joao Lourenco.
About half of the 38 million inhabitants are considered poor, even though Angola is rich in natural resources such as oil and diamonds.
Angola: promoting unity
Guillengue recalls that Pope Francis had already said this in Mozambique: peace and stability are impossible in a country where only a few enjoy the country’s wealth.
“There is also rampant corruption and inequality in Angola, as well as wealth concentrated in the hands of a small minority,” he said.
According to Guillengue, Pope Leo does not just want to promote unity.
“He has established the Catholic Church as a moral voice against injustice and division in society, not only in Africa but among Catholics around the world,” he said, and sees one clear difference from his predecessors: namely, his openness to world leaders and heads of state.
Equatorial Guinea: the gap between rich and poor
This was also evident in Equatorial Guinea at the conclusion of the Pope’s visit to the continent.
The Pope warned Teodoro Obiang Nguema, Africa’s longest-serving head of state, saying the situation in the country has not changed in recent decades.
Obiang Nguema has been at the helm of the country since 1979; It has a population of just 1.7 million, 75% of whom are Catholic.
The Pope criticized the elite profiting from the country’s oil wealth, saying, “The gap between a small minority – 1% of the population – and the overwhelming majority has increased dramatically.”
Guillengue stresses the importance of a clear stance from the head of the Catholic Church on the need for stability, especially in Africa.
He said, “We will only have a better picture of what the people of Africa can expect from this Pope in the near future, but at the moment he appears to be a very political Pope.”
Henry Fotso in Cameroon and Brima Darame in Angola contributed reporting.
This article is taken from German.