Pope Leo XIV begins his visit to Angola on Saturday

Pope Leo XIV begins on Saturday the third stage of his African tour in Angola, a country with a majority Catholic population but affected by poverty. After a liturgy in Cameroon, the pope will arrive in Luanda, where he will give a speech in front of the authorities. He is the third pontiff to visit Angola, after John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Leo XIV, elected in 2025, has adopted a firmer style, criticizing the exploitation of Africa in the name of profit. In Angola, where 44% of the population identifies as Catholic, the pope will celebrate an open-air liturgy and will visit the city of Muxima, an important pilgrimage site. His visit comes against a backdrop of acute social issues, including poverty and corruption, and the pope hopes to observe the needs of the youth in the country. After Angola, he will travel to Equatorial Guinea, concluding an 18,000-kilometer tour that began in Algeria.