Pope Leo XIV arrived in Angola on Saturday, carrying a message of economic justice to a nation where more than 30% of the population lives on less than $2.15 a day despite the country's vast mineral wealth. After celebrating Mass before an estimated 200,000 people in Yaounde, Cameroon, Leo flew to Luanda to meet President Joao Lourenco and address government authorities in a country still recovering from colonial exploitation and decades of civil war.
In his homily Saturday, delivered in French, Leo emphasized that respect for human dignity was a cornerstone of every society. He said, "For this reason, every community has the obligation to create and sustain structures of solidarity and mutual aid in which, when faced with crises — be they social, political, medical or economic — everyone can give and receive assistance according to their own capacity and needs."
A History of Exploitation and Conflict
Angola, a southern African country of around 38 million, gained independence from Portugal in 1975, marking the 51st year since independence. The country still bears the scars of a devastating civil war that began straight after independence, raged on and off for 27 years, and ended in 2002, now the 24th year since the war ended. More than 500,000 people are believed to have been killed. The civil war was for years a Cold War proxy conflict, with the United States and apartheid South Africa backing one side and the Soviet Union and Cuba backing the other.
As a Portuguese colony, Angola was considered the epicenter of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. More than 5 million of the roughly 12.5 million enslaved Africans were sent across the ocean on ships departing from Angola, more than any other country, though not all of them were Angolans.
Wealth Extracted, Poverty Entrenched
Angola today is the fourth-largest oil producer in Africa and among the world's top 20 producers, according to the International Energy Agency. It is also the world's No. 3 diamond producer and has significant deposits of gold and highly sought after critical minerals. Despite its natural resources, the World Bank estimated in 2023 that more than 30% of the population lived on less than $2.15 a day.
Former President Jose Eduardo dos Santos led Angola for 38 years from 1979 to 2017 and was accused of diverting billions of dollars of public money to his family, largely from the country's oil revenue, as millions struggled in poverty. After Joao Lourenco took over as president, his administration estimated that at least $24 billion was stolen or misappropriated by dos Santos. Lourenco's administration has vowed to crack down on corruption and has worked to recover funds allegedly stolen during the dos Santos era, though critics say Angola still has deep corruption problems and have questioned whether Lourenco's actions were aimed more at political rivals to consolidate his power.
Echoing Demands for Justice
In Cameroon, Leo had sought to encourage young people to have hope and demanded that elites stop exploiting the land and its people for profit. He was expected to echo that message in Angola, which was described as another mineral-rich former European colony where many people live in poverty. A Luanda resident, Sergio Jose, said, "I would like to hear a message of peace, a message of reconciliation. I would also like to hear good political messages, and I would also like to hear that the pope would also talk about the upcoming elections in Angola."
En route to Angola, Leo commented further on his ongoing back-and-forth with U.S. President Donald Trump over the Iran war, which began on Feb. 28 with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes followed by Tehran's retaliation. Leo said it was "not in my interest at all" to debate the president, but that he would continue preaching the Gospel message of peace.
Colonial Legacy at Sacred Site
The highlight of Leo's visit to Angola was expected to be his visit Sunday to Muxima, south of Luanda, a popular Catholic shrine in a country where around 58% of the population is Catholic. The Church of Our Lady of Muxima was built by Portuguese colonizers at the end of the 16th century as part of a fortress complex and became a hub in the slave trade. It remains a reminder of the link hundreds of years ago between Roman Catholicism and the exploitation of the African continent. Leo, history's first U.S.-born pope, has Black and white ancestors who included both enslaved people and slave owners, according to genealogical research. He was going to Muxima to pray the Rosary, in recognition of the site becoming a popular pilgrimage destination after believers reported an appearance by the Virgin Mary around 1833, the 193rd year since around 1833.
Why This Matters:
Pope Leo XIV's visit to Angola spotlights the enduring consequences of colonial extraction and governance failures that have left millions in poverty despite extraordinary natural wealth. Angola's trajectory—from the epicenter of the slave trade to a Cold War battleground to a nation where political elites allegedly diverted $24 billion while a third of the population survives on less than $2.15 a day—illustrates how resource wealth without democratic accountability and equitable distribution perpetuates inequality. The Pope's call for "structures of solidarity" and his demand that elites stop exploiting land and people for profit resonates in a country where the gap between mineral riches and lived poverty remains stark. For Angola's 38 million people, the question is whether institutions can be reformed to serve public welfare rather than private accumulation, and whether international attention can support accountability and recovery of stolen funds.