Pope Leo XIV continued his 10-day apostolic visit to Africa this week.
In Angola, Honoring Mary
In Angola, he visited the largest Catholic pilgrimage site in southern Africa, the Shrine of Mama Muxima (Mother of the Heart) dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God. He told faithful gathered there that “It is love that must triumph, not war.”
At a visit to an elderly care home, he called for forgiveness and prayer. He also visited and celebrated Masses in the capital city Luanda as well as it the city of Saurimo.
On his flight leaving the country, Pope Leo expressed his joy in seeing “the places in the world where the Church is growing,” such as in Angola, where the Church is working to promote universal human rights.
In Equatorial Guinea, Visits to Hospitals, a Prison, With Youth
The pontiff next traveled to Equatorial Guinea, meeting with civil authorities and discussing the complementarity of faith and reason at a leading university.
Pope Leo also visited a prison, a hospital, and a psychiatric facility which drew attention to the care offered to people dealing with addictions and mental difficulties throughout the world.
Pope Leo’s last full day in Africa came to a poetic end on Wednesday night, as a stadium full of young people sang and danced under an intense tropical rainstorm.
The next day he celebrated his final Mass in Equatorial Guinea. “Our problems do not disappear in the Lord’s presence, but they are illuminated,” he said in his homily. “Just as every cross finds redemption in Jesus, so too the story of our lives finds its meaning in the Gospel.”
In this regard, he encouraged “the living Church in Equatorial Guinea” to carry on “the mission of Jesus’ first disciples with joy.”
On his plane returning to Rome, Pope Leo told journalists: “As a Church—I repeat—as a pastor, I cannot be in favor of war. And I would like to encourage everyone to make efforts to seek answers that come from a culture of peace, not hatred and division.”
New Travel to Naples and Pompeii
The Vatican announced that Pope Leo will next travel within Italy to Naples and to Pompeii, where he will visit the shrine of St. Januarius, on May 8.
Marking 1st anniversary of Pope Francis’ death
The world noted the first anniversary of the death of Pope Francis, and Pope Leo sent a message read during a Mass in at the late pontiff’s tomb in Rome. Pope Leo also reflected on Francis’ legacy as a missionary disciple of Christ and pontiff.
The Holy See also released a new documentary on the life and pontificate of Pope Francis titled “Todos, Todos, Todos.”
Israeli Settlers Encroach on Church Lands in West Bank
The encroachments of Israeli settlers and damage on Church-owned lands in the West Bank of the Jordan River were denounced by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
While civil authorities have begun “pursuing those responsible and seizing heavy machinery used for land destruction,” the incidents come amid concerns of international observers and Church leaders over ongoing settlement expansion and increasing pressure on Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
Such developments have often been described by rights groups and analysts as contributing to a “de facto annexation” of parts of the territory, a process widely considered contrary to international law and a further obstacle to a negotiated two-state solution.
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