Pope Leo XIV has concluded a three-day visit to Cameroon as part of an 11-day pastoral tour across four African nations, delivering a series of pointed messages on corruption, governance, inequality, and peace to some of the continent's most pressing concerns. The pontiff celebrated a final open-air Mass on Saturday morning at Yaoundé's former city airport — now repurposed as a military base — in the presence of President Paul Biya and his wife Chantal Biya, before departing for Angola, the tour's third stop.
Throughout his stay, Pope Leo XIV visited three cities — Yaoundé, the capital; Bamenda, in the restive English-speaking northwest; and Douala, the country's commercial hub — drawing vast and fervent crowds at each stop. His homilies and speeches carried a consistent message of solidarity, justice, and institutional reform. Quoting Saint Augustine upon his arrival in Yaoundé, he told authorities and diplomats: "Those who command are in service of those they appear to command," adding that governing means "truly listening to citizens." He called on leaders to embrace civil society, uphold the rule of law, and break "the chains of corruption."
Addressing young Cameroonians — a significant audience in a country with a median age of just 18 — the Pope urged them not to give in to the temptation of emigration. Cameroon, like many African nations, faces a significant brain drain as young people seek opportunities abroad. "Do not give in to mistrust and discouragement," he told youth in Douala. At the Catholic University of Central Africa, he called on students and teachers alike to embody the values of justice, equity, and integrity. Faithfuls who attended the masses said what stayed with them most could be summed up in three words: peace, justice, and the fight against corruption.
In Bamenda, at the heart of Cameroon's long-running anglophone conflict — a region that has experienced years of violence between separatist groups and government forces — Leo XIV delivered a call for solidarity over domination. "The world is destroyed by a few dominators and kept standing by a multitude of brothers and sisters in solidarity," he said, denouncing warlords and encouraging residents to work for peace.
The Pope is now in Angola, a country rich in oil and natural resources but where approximately one third of the population lives on less than $2.15 a day. Cameroon, described as an important centre for Catholic growth and priestly vocations, was the second stop on a tour that underscores the Catholic Church's deepening engagement with sub-Saharan Africa, a region that is home to a rapidly growing share of the world's Catholics.