The Pope in Cameroon harshly criticises the 'tyrants' who are devastating the planet

On his trip to Africa, Pope Leo XIV condemned the 'handful of tyrants' who exploit the earth through war and greed. He delivered a message of peace in Bamenda, Anglophone Cameroon, in the context of a long-standing separatist conflict. Cameroonians celebrated his visit, hoping it would draw world attention to the violence plaguing the region. Leone led a peace meeting with religious leaders, emphasising the importance of interfaith efforts to end the conflict. He warned against the use of religion for military and economic gain, calling for a shift away from exploitation. The conflict has deep colonial roots, with thousands killed and displaced. Despite a temporary lull in the fighting, peace talks remain stalled. "Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political interests, dragging what is sacred into darkness and filth," stressed Leo XIV in his speech at St Joseph's Cathedral. Here the indirect reference could be to US President Donald Trump.

"The warlords," Leone said, "pretend they do not know that a moment is enough to destroy, but often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild. They pretend not to see that billions of dollars are needed to kill and devastate, but not the resources needed to heal, to educate, to rebuild. Those who rob your land of its resources usually invest a good part of the profits in weapons, in an endless spiral of destabilisation and death'. For the pontiff, 'it is an upside-down world, a distortion of God's creation that every honest conscience must denounce and repudiate, choosing that U-turn - conversion - that leads in the opposite direction, on the sustainable and rich road of human fraternity. The world is destroyed by a few rulers and held up by a myriad of supportive brothers and sisters! They are the descendants of Abraham, as incalculable as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore. Blessed are the peacemakers! Woe, instead, to those who bend religions and the very name of God to their own military, economic and political objectives, dragging what is holy into what is dirtiest and darkest".

On Friday 17 April, the Pope will travel to Douala, the economic capital of Cameroon. Here will be held the event, in the Pope's trip to Africa, with the largest attendance: a mass at which 600,000 faithful are expected. Leo XIV will depart from Yaoundé airport at 9am local time (10am in Italia), arriving at 9.55am. At 11 a.m. Leo will celebrate Mass in the area in front of the Japoma Stadium. At 1.30 p.m., he will make a private visit to the Saint Paul Catholic hospital. At 2.10pm he will leave Douala to fly back to Yaoundé; the Pope is scheduled to arrive in the capital at 3.20pm. The last meeting of the day will be held at 5.30 p.m. at the Catholic University of Yaoundé.