US EditionPope wraps up an Africa visit for the history books with a Mass in Equatorial Guinea
The pope urged the Church to prepare, welcome and live a renewed mission, calling for reconciliation, human dignity and a culture of peace.
- On April 23, Pope Leo XIV concluded his African journey spanning Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Guinea, leaving behind a message of "profound renewal" that resonated within Church and civil society.
- Bishop Juan Domingo Beka Esono Ayang, President of the Episcopal Conference, described the visit as a "shared blessing" as the Church in Equatorial Guinea recently expanded from three to five dioceses.
- During his addresses, the Pontiff emphasized human dignity and fostered a "culture of peace," urging Christians to recognize the richness of different cultures through communion without demanding uniformity.
- Among the journey's most moving moments, inmates at Bata Prison sang for the Holy Father, a gesture Bishop Beka said showed that "neither the Church nor society has forgotten them."
- As the Church looks to embrace the "great legacy" of Pope Leo, it closes a chapter marked by joy, guided by a pastoral call to "prepare, welcome and live.
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Bishop Beka: The Pope has brought new momentum to Equatorial Guinea
The President of the Bishops' Conference of Equatorial Guinea reflects on Pope Leo's Apostolic Journey, highlighting the urgency of reconciliation, respect for diversity, and social commitment as drivers of change for the nation. Read all
Pope Leo departs Equatorial Guinea after wrapping up 11-day trip to Africa
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday held an open-air mass in Equatorial Guinea in front of tens of thousands of followers, wrapping up his first major international tour that began with harsh criticism of his stance on Iran from US President Donald Trump.
PBS NewsHour
Pope wraps up an Africa visit for the history books with a Mass in Equatorial Guinea
Leo departed for Rome after a farewell ceremony at the Malabo airport, ending an 11-day, four-nation voyage that took him from Algeria in the north of Africa to Angola in the south and Cameroon in between.
Pope Leo XIV's recent visit to Equatorial Guinea has left a deep mark of "enthusiasm and popular fervor", in the words of Father Apolinar Mbo Olinga, vicar general of the diocese of Ebibeyin. Apolinar, who attended the Mass celebrated by the Pontiff in the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception of Mongomo, describes in 'The Lantern of the Church' an experience for which "words are lacking", a feeling that can only be understood by experiencing it…
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