Pope Leo XIV concluded his historic 11-day Africa tour on Thursday with a final Mass in Equatorial Guinea's capital Malabo, capping a journey that saw the pontiff deliver some of his sharpest criticism yet of authoritarian governance and prison conditions across the continent.
The pope celebrated his farewell liturgy before an estimated 30,000 people at Malabo's sports stadium, despite a powerful rainstorm that drenched the crowd who had gathered before dawn. The deluge subsided as Leo arrived in his covered popemobile for what ABC News described as "a romp through the deafening crowd."
Sharp words for prison conditions
The tour's most pointed moment came Wednesday when Leo visited Bata prison, a facility the BBC reports is known for dire conditions and used to detain political opponents. Addressing hundreds of inmates gathered in the prison courtyard during heavy rain, the pontiff delivered an unusually direct critique of the justice system.
"True justice seeks not so much to punish as to help rebuild the lives of victims, offenders and communities. To be effective, however, it must always promote the dignity of every person."
Leo told the prisoners, according to the BBC's coverage of the visit.
Rights groups including Amnesty International have documented routine beatings at the facility, with some prisoners disappearing entirely. When Leo departed, the rain-soaked inmates shouted "freedom," France 24 reported.
A tour marked by political confrontation
The Africa visit, Leo's first as pope, unfolded against unprecedented public exchanges with President Donald Trump over the Iran conflict. The confrontation began on day one when Trump accused the pontiff of being "soft on crime and cozy with the left" after Leo preached about peace. Vice President JD Vance later told the pope to "be careful" when speaking about theology.
Leo attempted to de-escalate by blaming media misinterpretation of his words, and both sides eventually moved on. The episode allowed the pope to refocus on his Africa agenda of rallying Catholics while criticizing what he called the "colonization" of the continent's natural resources by foreign interests.
The four-nation journey covered more than 17,700 kilometers across Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, with Leo making 18 flights including three on Wednesday alone as he crisscrossed Equatorial Guinea from coast to border.
Targeting wealth inequality and corruption
In Equatorial Guinea, one of Africa's most oil-rich nations, Leo delivered pointed criticism of wealth concentration among elites. During Wednesday's Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mongomo, attended by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the world's longest-serving leader, Leo urged citizens to:
- "Serve the common good rather than private interests"
- Bridge "the gap between the privileged and the disadvantaged"
- Use natural resources "as a blessing for all" rather than benefiting only a few
The criticism carries particular weight in Equatorial Guinea, where Transparency International ranks the country among the world's most corrupt states. More than half the population lives in poverty despite vast oil revenues, according to World Bank data. President Obiang's son and vice-president was fined by a French court in 2020 for using public money to fund a luxurious European lifestyle.
During his homily at Thursday's final Mass, Leo referenced the April 17 death of Rev. Fr. Fortunato Nsue Esono Ayíambeng, a member of the papal visit organizing committee and vicar general of Malabo. "May full light be shed on the circumstances of his death," the pope said, alluding to rumors of foul play.
How the outlets are framing it
ABC News (centre-left, US) led with the historic nature of the tour and the Trump confrontation, emphasizing the 17,700 kilometers traveled and comparing Leo's globe-trotting to St. John Paul II's revolutionary papacy.
The BBC (centre, UK) foregrounded the prison visit and human rights criticism, detailing Amnesty International's documentation of beatings and disappearances at Bata prison while noting the government's denials.
France 24 (centre, French) focused on the tightly controlled nature of the prison visit, highlighting the freshly repainted courtyard and prisoners' songs and dances in the driving rain.
Leo departed for Rome after a farewell ceremony at Malabo airport, ending what ABC News called "one of the newsiest papal trips in the history of popes on the road." The visit included emotional moments such as Leo breaking protocol to greet psychiatric patients individually in Sampaka and praying the rosary at a former slave trade hub in Angola, where his ancestors included both enslaved persons and slave owners.
Conversation 0 comments
Join the discussion ↓