Pope Leo leaves Angola after peace-focused visit, heads for Equatorial Guinea

Pope Leo departed Angola on Tuesday (April 21) after a three-day visit marked by calls for peace, reconciliation and social justice in the oil-rich nation, the penultimate stop of his four-country Africa tour.

Crowds gathered outside the apostolic nunciature in Luanda early in the morning to bid farewell, cheering and waving as the pontiff appeared on a balcony and offered a final greeting. Along the route to the airport, residents lined the streets, applauding as the papal motorcade passed.

At Luanda’s international airport, Leo was received by President João Lourenço, with the two leaders walking together along a red carpet for a formal departure ceremony that included national anthems and a military honour guard. Bishops and senior clergy waited on the tarmac to greet the pope, who shook hands and exchanged brief words before boarding the papal plane.

During his stay, the U.S.-born pontiff met political leaders, celebrated Mass in regional centres and addressed bishops and priests in the capital, repeatedly highlighting Angola’s experience of war and recovery as a lesson for a world still marked by conflict.

Leo used his time in Angola to emphasise the responsibility of religious leaders to stand alongside ordinary people, denounce injustice and work toward lasting peace and development.

Leo is due to land later on Tuesday in Equatorial Guinea, where he will conclude the final stage of his four-nation Africa tour focused on peace, reconciliation and the needs of the poor.

-Sisipho Skweyiya/Reuters