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Pope Leo XIV concluded his 11-day Africa tour on Thursday, celebrating a final open-air Mass before more than 30,000 worshippers at a stadium in Malabo — the island capital on Bioko — before departing for Rome midday. At the Mass, the Pope offered condolences to the Archdiocese of Malabo over the recent death of its vicar general, Monsignor Fortunato Nsue, whose circumstances remain unexplained, with some local media reporting suspicions of assassination. Leo urged the faithful not to be swayed by "hasty comments or conclusions," expressing confidence that the full truth would come to light, and said he was carrying home an "inestimable treasure of faith, hope, and charity" from the continent. The tour took him through Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.
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On Wednesday, Pope Leo celebrated Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mongomo, drawing some 100,000 worshippers including President Obiang, where he urged Equatoguineans to serve the common good rather than private interests and to bridge the gap between the privileged and disadvantaged. He then visited the high-security Bata prison — where Amnesty International has documented routine beatings and inmates held incommunicado for years — addressing around 600 detainees, including approximately 30 women, in a courtyard where prisoners sang and danced in torrential rain. Leo told inmates in Spanish, "You are not alone — if any of you fear being abandoned by everyone, know that God will never abandon you," and declared that justice must "always bet on the dignity and potential of each person." The visit drew added international attention after it emerged that Equatorial Guinea is among several African nations paid by the Trump administration to accept U.S. deportees sent to countries other than their own.
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Speaking before Obiang — who has held power since 1979 and regularly wins elections with results approaching 99% — Leo explicitly warned against invoking God "to justify decisions and actions that cause death," remarks widely noted for their resonance amid broader international tensions over the Middle East conflict. The Pope also invoked John Paul II's 1982 visit to Equatorial Guinea, calling words spoken then about respect for human rights and better living conditions "words that remain current and that challenge anyone who holds public office." Leo urged the country not to hesitate in reviewing its development path and positioning itself on the international stage "at the service of law and justice."
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Pope Leo XIV arrived in Malabo on Tuesday, becoming the first pope to visit Equatorial Guinea since St. John Paul II in 1982 — a 44-year gap that drew jubilant crowds lining the route from the airport to the capital. Speaking in Spanish before President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo at the presidential palace, Leo warned against invoking God
Pope Leo XIV delivered sharp rebukes against corruption, exploitation, and social inequality during consecutive stops on his African tour, addressing tens of thousands of faithful in Angola before moving on to Equatorial Guinea, where he called on authorities to place the country's resources at the service of justice and law.
In the Angolan city of Saurimo — a diamond-mining hub in the country's northeast — the Pope celebrated an open-air mass attended by around 40,000 people, where he condemned exploitation and corruption by the rich and powerful. Angola, a country of roughly 35 million people on the southwestern coast of Africa, emerged from a devastating civil war in 2002 and holds significant oil and mineral wealth, yet a large share of its population continues to live in poverty.
From Angola, Pope Leo XIV travelled to Equatorial Guinea, a small, oil-rich nation of roughly two million people on the Gulf of Guinea — around 75 percent of whom identify as Catholic. It marked the first papal visit to the country in 44 years, since John Paul II's trip in 1982. Speaking at the presidential palace in Malabo, the capital, alongside President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, one of the world's longest-serving heads of state, the Pope called on authorities to use the country's international standing in the service of
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