Wiesbaden, 28. 04. 26
Upon his return to Rome on April 28th pope Leo XIV, during his weekly general audience, reflected in front of 25 000 people gathered at St Peter’s Square about his pastoral journey, that he made to Africa – specifically to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea (13. -23rd of April). The Pontiff underlined that he came as “pastor in order to meet the people of God and encourage them.” He put particular emphasis on the “message of peace” during his Africa journey which according to him is given in a historical period, that , “is shaped by wars and heavy violations against international law! Aside the call for peace, I have attacked the heavy injustices that exist in those countries that are so rich in raw material and I demanded from the international community, to overcome the neocolonial thinking,” the pope said. In respect to his pastoral journey in Algeria, he stressed that he was having an “interreligious dialogue in a country that in its majority is muslim, and was “able to show the world that it is possible to live peacefully together as brothers and sisters, even if we belong to different religions, if we recognize ourselves as children of a merciful God father.”
Algeria: “Let us multiply oases of peace!”
During his visit in Algiers the pontiff in a meeting with the authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps emphasized, that the Algerian people “show great generosity as a common and natural practice toward both their fellow citizens and foreigners. This disposition reflects a hospitality deeply rooted in Arab and Berber communities… Similarly, almsgiving (sadaka) is a common and natural practice among you, even for those of limited means… The word “sadaka” can also mean justice. We not only live for ourselves, but share what we have as a matter of justice. The one who accumulates wealth and remains indifferent to others is unjust. (…) By respecting the dignity of everyone and allowing yourselves to be moved by the pain of others, instead of multiplying misunderstandings and conflicts, you can surely become protagonists of a new chapter in history. Today this is more urgent than ever in the face of continuous violations of international law and neocolonial tendencies.” (…) “Authorities are called not to ‘dominate’ but to serve the people and foster their development: 1. Political action thus finds its guiding criterion in justice, without which there can be no authentic peace, and it is expressed in the promotion of fair and dignified conditions for all. The Catholic Church too, through her communities and initiatives, wishes to contribute to the common good of Algeria, strengthening its distinctive identity as a bridge between North and South, and between East and West (…) Let us multiply oases of peace, let us denounce and remove the causes of despair, and let us oppose those who profit from the misfortune of others! For illicit are the gains of those who exploit human life, whose dignity is inviable. Let us then unite our strength, spiritual energy, intelligence and resources, so that the land and the sea may become place of life, encounter and wonder.”
Cameroon: Against modern forms of tyranny and neocolonial exploitation
In a “meeting for peace with the community of Bamenda” at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph (15th -17thApril, in Cameroon) the pope focused on the subject of “peace”, by stating: “I am here to proclaim peace. Yet it is you who are proclaiming peace to me and to the entire world. As one of you observed, the crisis impacting these regions of Cameroon has brought Christian and Muslim communities closer than ever before. Indeed, your religious leaders have come together to establish a Movement for Peace, through which they seek to mediate between the opposing sides (…) Your witness, your work for peace can be a model for the whole world! Blessed are the peacemakers! But woe to those who manipulate religions and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”
He spoke at one point about the “masters of war”, that want to destroy human civilization today: “The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet a lifetime is often not enough to rebuild. They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources generally invest much of the profit in weapons, thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilization and death. It is a world turned upside down, an exploitation of God’s creation that must be denounced and rejected by every honest conscience. We must make a decisive change of course – a true conversion- that will lead us in the opposite direction, onto a sustainable path rich in human fraternity. The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters! They are the descendants of Abraham, as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore… Let us serve peace together!”
“In service of truth and justice” – University in Yaoundé (Cameroon)
In an excellent speech that was characterized by the passionate commitment of this Pontiff, to reflect together with students and professors about the challenge of a true humanist, Christian education, the pope expressed his deep hope that the Catholic university of Central Africa (Yaoundé) that was founded in 1989 by the Association of the Episcopal Conferences of Central Africa, may today serve as beacon for the church and for Africa in its search for truth as well as its promotion of justice and solidarity.
The pope particularly stressed that “today our proclamation of the Gospel and the Church’s doctrine are called to promote a culture of encounter, in generous and open cooperation with all the positive forces that contribute to the growth of universal human consciousness. A culture, we might say- of encounter between all the authentic and vital cultures, thanks to a reciprocal exchange of the gifts of each in that luminous space opened up by God’s love of all its creatures. As Pope Benedict XVI said in Veritatis Gaudium “in fact logos is logos which creates dia-logos, and hence communication and communio.”
He further qualified that today the university stands out as privileged place of friendship, cooperation and at the same time, of interiority and reflection. From its very origins in the Middle Ages, its founders set truth as its goal. He quoted from Cardinal Henry Newman, who in his writing “The idea of university (Discourse II) had written ‘All true principles run over with God, all phenomena converge to him.”
Faith and reason
“The gaze of science thus benefits from faith,” the pope stated. “Faith encourages the scientist to remain constantly open to reality in all its inexhaustible richness. Faith awakes the critical sense by preventing research from being satisfied with its own formulas and helps it to realize that nature is always greater. By stimulating wonder before the profound mystery of creation, faith broadens the horizons of reason to shed greater light on the world which discloses itself to scientific investigation.” (Francis, Encyclical Letter Lumen Fidei,34).”
The pope underlined that the continent of Africa, with so many millions of young people, can make a fundamental contribution to broadening the overly narrow horizons of a humanity that struggles to hope. That a society can’t flourish unless it is grounded in upright consciences, formed in the truth. “In this sense, the motto of your university – “in the service of truth and justice” – reminds you that the human conscience, understood as the inner sanctuary where men and women discover themselves drawn by the voice of God, is the very ground upon which just and stable foundations for every society must be laid. To form consciences that are free and endowed with a holy restlessness is a necessary condition for the Christian faith to appear as a fully human proposal. Such a faith is capable of transforming the lives of individuals and of society, of inspiring prophetic change in the face of tragedies and forms of poverty of our time, and of encouraging a continual search for God that is never satisfied.”
Problems in contemporary societies- the question of “Artificial Intelligence”
He then reflected about what he considers a major problem which contemporary societies in Africa are facing: “In contemporary societies, and therefore in Cameroon too, we can witness an erosion of the moral values that once guided community life. As a result, today there is a tendency to approve casually certain practices that were once considered unacceptable. This dynamic can be explained in part by social changes, economic pressures and political forces that shape individual and collective behavior.
“Christians, and especially young African Catholics, must not be afraid of ‘new things’, your university, in particular, can form pioneers of a new humanism in the context of the digital revolution. While the African continent is well acquainted with its alluring aspects, it also knows the darker side of the environmental and social devastation caused by the relentless pursuit of raw materials and rare earths. Do not look the other way: this is a service to the truth and to all humanity. Without this demanding educational effort, passive adaptation to dominant paradigms will be mistaken for competence, and the loss of freedom for progress.”
He particularly referred to the spread of “Artificial Intelligence” systems, which increasingly shape and permeate our mentality and social environment. Like every great historical transformation, this too calls not only for technical competence, but also for a humanistic formation capable of making visible the logic behind economics, embedded biases and forms of power that shape our perception of reality.”
However, he also warned that “when simulation becomes the norm, it weakens the human capacity for discernment. As a result, our social bonds close in upon themselves, forming self- referential circuits that no longer expose us to reality. We thus come to live within bubbles, impermeable to one another. Feeling threatened by anyone who is different, we grow unaccustomed to encounter and dialogue. In this way, polarization, conflict, fear and violence spread. What is at stake is not merely the risk of error, but a transformation in our very relationship with truth”, he warned. He also urged the students of Cameroon – in the face of the understandable tendencies to migrate – to first “and foremost respond with an ardent desire to serve your country and to apply the knowledge you are acquiring here to the benefit of your fellow citizens.” (…) “Africa and the world stand in need of people who are committed to living according to the Gospel and to placing their talents at the service of the common good… Being witness to the truth, especially in the face of illusions and passing fashions, you will foster an environment in which academic excellence is naturally united with human uprightness.”
The Ceiba Tree – symbol of Equatorial Guinea
Equally profound was the pope’s address at the “Leo XIV Campus of the National university” (Malabo, Equatorial Guinea). At this occasion the Campus of the National University was inaugurated with the name Leo XIV. There were aside the rector of the university, several professors and student representative who spoke with great enthusiasm about this beautiful university and the scientific work they are engaged in. The pope emphasized that the “inauguration of a university campus is more than a mere administrative act. It transcends the simple expansion of infrastructure and places for study. He used the image of a “tree” as being a symbol for the university’s mission: “For the people of Equatorial Guinea, the ‘ceiba-tree’, has a great national symbolic meaning. A tree put forth deep roots, and ascends slowly with patience and strength to the heights, embodying in itself a fruitfulness that does not exist for itself. (…) The tree seems to offer a ‘parable’ of that which a university is called to be: an institution well rooted in the seriousness of study, in the living memory of a people and in the persevering search for truth. Only in this way will it be able to grow strong; in this way will it be capable of bettering itself without losing contact with the historical circumstance in which it is situated.”
Visiting social institutions and meeting young families
Throughout his African pastoral journey, the Pontiff used several times to occasion to visit social institutions. Noteworthy were his visit to a hospital, as well as a psychiatric hospital “Jean Pierre Olie” at which the Pope addressed patients, doctors as well as nurses in a very moving way. Similarly moving was his rare visit us to a prison in Bata (Equatorial Guinea) where he was overwhelmingly received by hundreds of prisoners- singing and praying with him, as well as donating to him sculptures made by some of the prisoners: a huge wooden cross and a statue of an Augustinian monk. This extraordinary ceremony took place in the midst of torrential rain.
At the end of his journey the Pope had the chance to meet young people and families at the Bata Stadium. It offered to them the opportunity to express their gratitude for being able to articulate their desire of leading a meaningful life as a family; others spoke about their vocation as priests. As the Pope said at one point in reference to a testimony that was given to him by Victor Antonio, this “has reminded us that welcoming life requires love, commitment and care. These words spoken by a young person, should lead us to reflect seriously on the importance of protecting and safeguarding the family and the value learned within it. A family that knows how to welcome and love becomes a source of light and warmth.” He quoted from Pope Francis (Amor Laetitia, 9,11): “The father and mother, a couple with their personal story of love …the couple that loves and begets life is a true, living icon… capable of revealing God the Creator and Savior.”
