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Pope Leo XIV Draws Massive Crowds at Open-Air Mass in Angola
(MENAFN) Tens of thousands of people assembled near Angola’s capital, Luanda, for a large outdoor Sunday mass led by Pope Leo XIV during his visit to the country, which is rich in natural resources but still struggling with widespread poverty.
The Pope arrived in Portuguese-speaking Angola on Saturday as part of the third stop in a four-nation tour across Africa. Soon after landing, he held talks with President João Lourenço and senior officials, where he addressed issues of oppression, poverty, and the heavy exploitation of the nation’s resources.
His remarks aligned with the broader message of his 11-day African tour, where he has consistently warned against corruption and the misuse of the continent’s natural wealth.
At the Sunday gathering in Kilamba, on the outskirts of the capital, huge crowds attended the mass, many hoping for encouragement and a message of optimism in difficult living conditions.
Among them was a 32-year-old attendee who said he was seeking motivation for Angola’s youth, many of whom consider leaving the country due to limited job opportunities.
"He needs to give us hope, to help us understand that from here we can live better than abroad," he told journalists.
He also pointed to the country’s resource wealth and inequality, saying, "We are very rich in natural resources but ... there is a glaring inequality between those who live well and the others," while wearing clothing featuring the Pope’s image.
Despite being one of Africa’s major oil producers and also rich in diamonds and other minerals, approximately one-third of Angola’s 36.6 million people live in poverty, according to general development reports.
A clergyman who traveled from the eastern province of Moxico to attend the mass highlighted the imbalance of wealth in the country and the lingering effects of past conflict.
He said that "There's a concentration of wealth in the hands of very few, and of course the war just aggravated the situation,"
Angola continues to bear the long-term consequences of a civil war that began after independence from Portugal in 1975 and lasted until 2002.
The same attendee added, "We need real democracy and the redistribution of wealth and justice," calling for deeper social and economic reforms.
The Pope arrived in Portuguese-speaking Angola on Saturday as part of the third stop in a four-nation tour across Africa. Soon after landing, he held talks with President João Lourenço and senior officials, where he addressed issues of oppression, poverty, and the heavy exploitation of the nation’s resources.
His remarks aligned with the broader message of his 11-day African tour, where he has consistently warned against corruption and the misuse of the continent’s natural wealth.
At the Sunday gathering in Kilamba, on the outskirts of the capital, huge crowds attended the mass, many hoping for encouragement and a message of optimism in difficult living conditions.
Among them was a 32-year-old attendee who said he was seeking motivation for Angola’s youth, many of whom consider leaving the country due to limited job opportunities.
"He needs to give us hope, to help us understand that from here we can live better than abroad," he told journalists.
He also pointed to the country’s resource wealth and inequality, saying, "We are very rich in natural resources but ... there is a glaring inequality between those who live well and the others," while wearing clothing featuring the Pope’s image.
Despite being one of Africa’s major oil producers and also rich in diamonds and other minerals, approximately one-third of Angola’s 36.6 million people live in poverty, according to general development reports.
A clergyman who traveled from the eastern province of Moxico to attend the mass highlighted the imbalance of wealth in the country and the lingering effects of past conflict.
He said that "There's a concentration of wealth in the hands of very few, and of course the war just aggravated the situation,"
Angola continues to bear the long-term consequences of a civil war that began after independence from Portugal in 1975 and lasted until 2002.
The same attendee added, "We need real democracy and the redistribution of wealth and justice," calling for deeper social and economic reforms.
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