Pope Leo XIV finished his landmark African tour with a prison visit in Equatorial Guinea, following earlier stops in Cameroon and Angola.
10:25 AM
Pope Leo XIV concluded his eventful tour of Africa with a visit to a prison in Equatorial Guinea, authorities said, marking the final leg of a landmark journey across the continent that included stops in Cameroon and Angola.
The pontiff's tour came amid a recent exchange with United States President Donald Trump over Middle East policy. Leo downplayed the disagreement as he traveled to Angola on Saturday, arriving at 3 p.m. local time in the capital, Luanda, where billboards bearing his image had been erected to welcome him.
Leo is the third pope to visit Angola, following Pope John Paul II in 1992 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. The country is a major fossil fuel producer. During his time in Angola, the pontiff was scheduled to meet with President Joao Lourenco and deliver a speech.
The pope had spent three days in Cameroon before traveling to Luanda. In Cameroon, he called on the country to reject violence, with approximately 120,000 people joining a Mass he conducted there.
Regarding his recent disagreement with Trump, Leo stated he was not seeking a "new debate" with the U.S. president during his Africa trip. The pontiff previously said he does not fear Trump following criticism over his appeal for peace in Iran. Trump had deleted an image of himself depicted in a Jesus-like manner after facing backlash over the post.
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Cameroon on Wednesday as the continent's Catholic population grows, but African representation in Vatican leadership remains limited.
Paolo Zampolli, a U.S. special envoy, suggested to Trump and FIFA that Italy substitute for Iran in the tournament starting in June.
The administration is negotiating to relocate Afghan interpreters and military families, including over 400 children, from Qatar to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
A 10-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah began Friday, displacing over one million Lebanese residents and complicating Netanyahu's political position domestically.
EU ambassadors backed the loan after Hungary lifted its veto. Final approval expected Thursday following pipeline restart.
President Trump extended a temporary truce with Iran pending submission of a unified proposal, while keeping U.S. military blockade in place.
