Photo ©: Vatican Media

(ANS – Luanda) – “I come to Africa primarily as a shepherd, as head of the Catholic Church, to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage, and to accompany all African Catholics.” With these clear words, Pope Leo XIV reiterated the purpose of his extended journey to Africa during the flight on Saturday, April 18, 2026, from Cameroon to Angola.

Following the widely attended Masses during the final stages of his visit to Cameroon—Friday’s Mass at Japona Stadium in Douala, attended by 120,000 faithful, and the farewell Mass on Saturday at Yaoundé Military Airport, attended by approximately 200,000 people, during which he encouraged the people of Cameroon to remain steadfast in Christ so as to be “the salt and light of this land”—the Holy Father arrived in Angola, the third stage of his apostolic journey.

The Pope’s schedule for this phase of his African tour is full, under the motto: “Pope Leo XIV, Pilgrim of Hope, Reconciliation, and Peace, Blesses Angola.”

It began on Saturday afternoon with a courtesy visit to the President of the Republic, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, followed by a meeting in the Protocol Hall with approximately 400 political and religious leaders, business leaders, and representatives of civil society and the cultural sector.

On this occasion, the Pontiff first remembered the victims of the recent floods in Benguela, which caused around 30 deaths and displaced more than 34,000 people. He then highlighted the “scars” left by exploitation driven by predatory and “overbearing interests”:

“We must break this chain of interests that reduces reality and life itself to a commodity… How much suffering, how many deaths, how many social and environmental disasters are brought about by this logic of extractivism!”

Encouraging the building of a renewed nation—one that “can grow significantly” if its leaders believe in the “multifaceted nature of its wealth”—Pope Leo XIV urged local leaders:

“Do not be afraid of disagreement; do not suppress the ideas of the young or the dreams of the elderly; and know how to manage conflicts by transforming them into paths of renewal. Place the common good before every particular interest, never confusing your own part with the whole. History will then vindicate you, even if in the near term some may oppose you.”

Sunday’s Key Events

Two major events marked Sunday, April 19, 2026: the Mass for the Third Sunday of Easter in Kilamba and, in the afternoon, the Rosary on the esplanade in front of the Mamã Muxima Shrine.

At the Mass, attended by approximately 100,000 faithful, and reflecting on the Gospel account of the disciples of Emmaus, Pope Leo XIV compared Angola’s journey to that of the two disciples, noting that in the face of setbacks, people can lose hope and become “paralyzed by discouragement.”

He emphasized that the solution does not come from human strategies alone, but as a gift from above:

“The Lord walks alongside the two disappointed disciples, who are running out of hope, and, becoming their traveling companion, helps them to piece together the fragments of that story, to look beyond the pain… Here, too, for us, for you, dear Angolan brothers and sisters, is the path to a new beginning: on the one hand, the certainty that the Lord accompanies us and has compassion on us; on the other, the commitment he asks of us.”

At the same time, the Holy Father addressed the local reality, urging people not to mix faith with “magical and superstitious elements that do not aid the spiritual journey.” He also prayed for the people of Angola—whose history has been marked by a long civil war—that the Church may accompany them and listen to “the cry of its children.”

Rosary at Mamã Muxima Shrine

In the afternoon, amid the enthusiasm and devotion of 30,000 people gathered at the historic Mamã Muxima Shrine—a place of worship dating back to the 17th century and associated with the era of Portuguese colonization—the Pope led the recitation of the Rosary. The mysteries were introduced by a young man, a child, a family, a religious sister, and a seminarian.

In his address, delivered in Portuguese, Pope Leo XIV called for a renewed commitment:

“to love every person with a mother’s heart, in a concrete and generous way,” and to dedicate oneself “especially to the poorest.”

“It is love that must triumph, not war! This is what the heart of Mary, the heart of the Mother of us all, teaches us,” he proclaimed, making a heartfelt appeal to young people to “build a better world,” one free from injustice.

For all, the model is Mary:

“Our Lady asks us to let ourselves be moved by the sentiments of her heart, so that, like her, we may be workers for justice and bearers of peace.”