Pope Leo XIV challenged Angola’s leaders to break the 'cycle of interests' that have plundered and exploited Africa for centuries as he arrived in the southern African country on Saturday with a message of encouragement for its long-suffering people,
msn reports.
Leo's arrival in Angola, the oil-and-mineral-rich former Portuguese colony, marked the third leg of his four-nation African voyage. En route from Cameroon, he spoke again of the ongoing back-and-forth with U.S. President Donald Trump over the Iran war.
Leo, history’s first U.S.-born pope, stated, 'It is not in my interest at all' to debate Trump, but emphasized that he would continue preaching the Gospel message of peace, justice, and brotherhood in Africa.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance later expressed his gratitude on social media, thanking Pope Leo for his words. Vance, a Catholic convert, had suggested earlier in the week that Leo should be cautious when discussing theology.
In Angola, Leo met with President Joao Lourenco and delivered his first speech to Angolan government authorities, in which he referred repeatedly to Angola’s tortured history of colonial plunder and civil war.
'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,' he remarked. 'There dwells within you a joy that not even the most adverse circumstances have been able to extinguish.'
