BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
Pope Leo XIV challenged Angola’s leadership to confront the enduring legacy of exploitation and inequality as he arrived in the southern African nation on Saturday, calling for a decisive break from patterns that have long hindered the continent’s development.
The pontiff’s visit to Angola marks the third stop on his four-nation African tour and comes as he continues to emphasize themes of justice, peace, and human dignity. Speaking shortly after landing, Leo framed his mission as one of encouragement for a population that has endured decades of hardship, while also pressing political leaders to chart a more equitable path forward.
During his first official address, delivered after meeting President João Lourenço, the pope reflected on Angola’s turbulent history, including centuries of colonial exploitation and a prolonged civil war that left deep social and economic scars.
“I desire to meet you in the spirit born of peace and to affirm that your people possess treasures that cannot be bought or stolen,” Leo said, highlighting what he described as the resilience and enduring spirit of the Angolan people. He added that despite adversity, the nation retains a sense of hope that cannot be extinguished.
Angola, a former Portuguese colony, gained independence in 1975 but quickly descended into a brutal civil conflict that lasted until 2002. The war, which claimed more than half a million lives, became a proxy battleground during the Cold War, drawing in foreign powers and further complicating the country’s path to stability.
Today, Angola is one of Africa’s leading oil producers and a major source of diamonds and other valuable minerals. Despite its vast natural wealth, however, much of the population continues to face economic hardship. International estimates indicate that a significant portion of Angolans live in extreme poverty, underscoring the disparity between the country’s resources and the living conditions of its people.
Addressing government officials, Leo warned against a long-standing pattern in which foreign and domestic interests have prioritized resource extraction over human development.
“You know well that all too often people have looked — and continue to look — to your lands in order to give, or, more commonly, in order to take,” he said. He urged leaders to dismantle what he described as a “cycle of interests” that reduces both natural resources and human lives to commodities.
The pope’s remarks echoed themes he raised earlier in his यात्रा through Cameroon, where he criticized corruption and the global systems that perpetuate inequality. In Angola, he again condemned economic models that rely heavily on extractive industries without delivering broad-based benefits to society.
“How much suffering, how many deaths, how many social and environmental disasters are brought about by this logic of extractivism,” he said, warning that such approaches often exclude large segments of the population while claiming to represent progress.
Angola’s modern political landscape has been shaped in part by the legacy of former president José Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled the country for nearly four decades. His tenure was marked by allegations of widespread corruption, with billions of dollars in public funds reportedly diverted even as poverty remained widespread.
Since taking office, Lourenço has pledged to combat corruption and recover misappropriated assets, with his administration estimating that tens of billions of dollars were lost under his predecessor. While some progress has been made, critics argue that corruption remains deeply entrenched and question whether reforms have been applied consistently.
Leo’s visit also draws attention to Angola’s earlier history as a central hub in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. During the colonial period, millions of Africans were forcibly transported across the ocean, with Angola serving as a major departure point. This legacy continues to shape the nation’s historical identity and its relationship with global institutions, including the Catholic Church.
A key moment of the pope’s visit is expected to come during his trip to Church of Our Lady of Muxima, a major Catholic pilgrimage site located south of the capital, Luanda. Built in the late 16th century by Portuguese colonizers, the church was once part of a fortress complex tied to the slave trade. Today, it stands as both a place of worship and a symbol of the complex intersection between faith and colonial history.
Leo is scheduled to pray the rosary at the site, acknowledging its spiritual significance while also recognizing its historical weight. The shrine has drawn pilgrims for generations, particularly after reports in the 19th century of an apparition associated with the Virgin Mary.
The pope’s personal background adds another layer to the visit. Genealogical research indicates that his ancestry includes both enslaved individuals and slaveholders, a lineage that reflects the broader, often painful history he has sought to address during his papacy.
As his African tour continues, Leo has maintained a careful distance from geopolitical disputes, including ongoing tensions involving Donald Trump and conflicts in the Middle East. He reiterated that engaging in political confrontation is not his priority, emphasizing instead his commitment to promoting reconciliation and solidarity.
“I am not interested in debate,” he said while traveling to Angola. “My mission is to proclaim peace, justice, and brotherhood.”
His message in Angola reinforces that broader vision, urging leaders to transform the country’s considerable wealth into tangible improvements for its citizens and to ensure that future development is guided not by extraction and profit alone, but by dignity and inclusion.
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