By Ayomide Otitju
Pope Leo XIV on Monday condemned exploitation, corruption, and inequality by the powerful during a visit to Angola’s diamond-rich northeastern city of Saurimo, continuing a recurring theme of his 11-day African tour.
The American pontiff, now on the eighth day of a four-nation visit, travelled to the city located about 800 kilometres east of the capital, Luanda, where he celebrated a large open-air Mass under tight security and sweltering conditions.
Saurimo, the capital of the historically marginalised Lunda Sul province and close to Angola’s largest diamond mine, Catoca, was filled with crowds estimated at tens of thousands who lined the streets, singing, dancing, and waving white scarves as the pope passed.
Angola, one of Africa’s leading producers of oil and diamonds, continues to grapple with deep inequality, with roughly a third of its population living below the World Bank poverty line despite its vast natural resources.
In his homily delivered in Portuguese, the pope said the hopes of many citizens are being undermined by systemic injustice.
“We can see today how the hope of many people is frustrated by violence, exploited by the powerful and defrauded by the rich,” he said. “When injustice corrupts hearts, the bread of all becomes the possession of a few.”
Authorities estimated that about 40,000 people attended the Mass, with an additional 20,000 participating from surrounding areas.
Earlier in the day, Pope Leo visited a care home in Saurimo housing elderly people abandoned by their families or affected by violence.
The pope also criticised exploitation and authoritarian practices in earlier stops in Algeria and Cameroon, adopting a more outspoken tone compared to his traditionally reserved approach.
During his visit to Angola over the weekend, he urged leaders to address the consequences of unchecked resource exploitation, questioning the human and environmental toll of mining and extraction activities.
“How much suffering, how many deaths, how many social and environmental disasters are caused by this logic of exploitation?” he asked during a meeting with government officials, including President João Lourenço.
Back in Luanda later on Monday, the pontiff was scheduled to meet with clergy to discuss challenges facing the Catholic Church, including limited resources and the growing influence of evangelical movements.
Pope Leo is the third pontiff to visit Angola, following visits by John Paul II in 1992 and Benedict XVI in 2009. The country endured a 27-year civil war after independence from Portugal in 1975.
At a Mass on Sunday attended by an estimated 100,000 worshippers, he called for national healing and urged the country to overcome historical divisions, corruption, and inequality.
Catholics make up about 44 per cent of Angola’s population, according to a 2024 census.
The pope is expected to conclude his African tour on Tuesday with a visit to Equatorial Guinea, wrapping up an 18,000-kilometre journey across the continent.
