By Spy Uganda
Pope Leo XIV has made a powerful and symbolic visit to Angola, drawing attention to the country’s complex past and present as he called for justice, peace, and an end to corruption.
The visit marks the third leg of the pontiff’s tour of four African nations, with Angola, an oil- and mineral-rich country, taking center stage in his message about the responsible stewardship of resources and human dignity.
On Saturday, the Pope met with João Lourenço before addressing government officials in a speech that reflected deeply on Angola’s turbulent history, shaped by colonial exploitation and a prolonged civil war.
“I wish to meet you in a spirit of peace and to affirm that your people possess treasures that can neither be bought nor stolen,” the Holy Father said, cautioning against the continued exploitation of the country’s wealth.
“You know well that, all too often, people have looked and continue to look to your lands in order to give, or, more frequently, to take,” he added.
Angola remains one of Africa’s leading oil producers and is rich in diamonds, gold, and critical minerals. However, despite this natural wealth, a significant portion of its population continues to live in poverty, highlighting stark economic inequalities.
Pope Leo XIV challenged Angolan leaders to break what he described as a “cycle of vested interests” that reduces life to mere commodities, urging a shift toward fairness and shared prosperity.
President Lourenço acknowledged the difficulties facing his administration, describing the task of improving citizens’ lives as “complex and difficult.” He also used the occasion to call for global peace, urging an end to conflict in regions such as Iran and appealing to the Pope’s moral authority to foster unity.
On Sunday morning, the Pope celebrated Mass in Kilamba, near Luanda, attended by an estimated 100,000 faithful. Delivering his message in Portuguese, he called for reconciliation both within Angola and globally, including appeals for peace in Ukraine and the Middle East.
“We can and want to build a country where the old divisions are overcome for good, where hatred and violence disappear, and where the wound of corruption is healed by a new culture of justice and sharing,” he said.
Muxima Shrine Visit A Powerful Symbol
The highlight of the Pope’s visit came later that day when he traveled to Muxima Shrine, one of Southern Africa’s most significant Catholic pilgrimage centers.
There, he prayed the rosary at the Mamã Muxima (Mother of the Heart) church, a site deeply embedded in Angola’s spiritual life and history. The shrine, associated with reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary in the 19th century, attracts thousands of pilgrims annually.
However, Muxima also stands near areas historically linked to the transatlantic slave trade, a painful chapter in which millions of Africans were forcibly taken across the ocean. Angola was one of the epicentres of this trade under Portuguese rule.
The Pope’s visit to the shrine carried deep symbolic weight, acknowledging both faith and suffering, and the enduring connection between religion and Africa’s historical experience.
Born in the United States as Robert Francis Prevost, Pope Leo XIV himself has ancestral ties to both enslaved people and slave owners, adding a personal dimension to his reflections on history, justice, and reconciliation.
As his African tour continues, the pontiff’s message in Angola has underscored a broader call: that nations rich in resources must also strive to be rich in justice, unity, and human dignity.
