Pope Leo XIV Condemns Tyrants Amid Cameroon Visit

Pope Leo XIV visited Cameroon this week to promote peace amid an ongoing separatist conflict that has killed over 6,500 people and displaced more than half a million. During his visit, the pope condemned 'tyrants' exploiting resources for war during a meeting at St. Joseph Cathedral in Bamenda, the epicenter of one of the world's most neglected crises.

The pope's arrival was met with jubilant crowds clogging the roads, blowing horns and dancing. Leo presided over a peace meeting involving a Mankon traditional chief, a Presbyterian moderator, an imam, and a Catholic nun. In his remarks at St. Joseph Cathedral, he praised the peace movement and warned against allowing religion to enter conflicts.

'Blessed are the peacemakers!' he said. 'But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.' He called for a 'decisive change of course' that leads away from conflict and the exploitation of the land and its people.

The conflict in Cameroon's two Anglophone regions is rooted in the country's colonial history. After World War I, Cameroon was divided between France and Britain. English-speaking regions later joined French Cameroon in a 1961 U.N.-backed vote, but separatists say they have since been politically and economically marginalized. In 2017, English-speaking separatists launched a rebellion with the stated goal of breaking away from the French-speaking majority.

On the eve of Leo's arrival, separatist fighters announced a three-day pause in fighting to allow safe passage for his visit. A spokesperson for the Unity Alliance, Lucas Asu, said the pause 'reflects a deliberate commitment to responsibility, restraint and respect for human dignity, even in the context of ongoing conflict.'

The pope's visit has stirred faint hope that steps might be taken to resolve the conflict. However, efforts to broker a peace deal have so far amounted to little, with both sides accusing each other of acting in bad faith.

Pope Leo XIV held a Mass on Friday in Douala, Cameroon, where an estimated 120,000 people attended. He urged Cameroon's young people to resist the temptation of corruption and instead work to serve the common good. In his homily, delivered in French and English, Leo cited the Biblical story of Jesus' multiplication of loaves urging young people to 'multiply your talents through faith, perseverance, and friendship.'

He spoke of leaders who 'turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found'. The pope also addressed the economic challenges faced by Cameroon's youth, highlighting issues like unemployment, social exclusion, and brain drain in the health sector.

Before leaving Cameroon, Leo celebrated a farewell Mass in Yaounde. During this mass, Pope Leo XIV urged African youth to work toward improving their own countries rather than migrating elsewhere in search of better opportunities. He directed his remarks to university students at the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon.

'In the face of the understandable tendency to migrate — which may lead one to believe that elsewhere a better future may be more easily found — I invite you, first and foremost, to respond with an ardent desire to serve your country and to apply the knowledge you are acquiring here to the benefit of your fellow citizens,' Leo said.

While displacement in Africa has steadily increased in recent years amid economic and political challenges, Leo said each country’s rising generations should be 'committed to society', reflect their nations’ needs and confront systemic issues at home. He added that through education and spiritual formation, 'you learn to become builders of the future of your respective countries and of a world that is more just and humane.'

'In moments when we seem to be sinking, overcome by adverse forces, when everything appears bleak ... Jesus is with us always, stronger than any power of evil,' said the pontiff.

Pope Leo XIV is set to arrive in Angola on Saturday for the third leg of his four-nation Africa tour. He is expected to address exploitation of natural resources in the oil-rich country and meet President João Lourenço before addressing the country's political leaders.