Pope Leo XIV arrived in Angola on Saturday, opening the third leg of his four-nation African tour in a country whose vast natural wealth stands in stark contrast to widespread poverty—a disparity rooted in decades of conflict and allegations of systemic corruption that diverted billions from public coffers.
The pontiff's plane touched down at Luanda's international airport after celebrating a morning Mass before an estimated 200,000 people in Yaounde, Cameroon. He was expected to meet President Joao Lourenco and deliver his first speech before Angolan government authorities, addressing a nation still grappling with the legacy of a devastating 27-year civil war that ended in the 24th year since the war ended.
A Nation's Troubled History
Angola, a southern African country of around 38 million, gained independence from Portugal in the 51st year since independence. The country still bears the scars of a civil war that began immediately after independence and raged on and off until 2002. More than 500,000 people are believed to have been killed in what became 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.
En route to Angola, Leo commented on his ongoing back-and-forth with U.S. President Donald Trump over the Iran war, which began in the same year 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.
Resource Wealth, Persistent Poverty
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. Yet 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.
In his homily Saturday, delivered in French, Leo said 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."
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, described as another mineral-rich former European colony where many people live in poverty.
Corruption's Toll
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.
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."
Historical Context
Angola, on the southwest coast of Africa, was considered the epicenter of the trans-Atlantic slave trade as a Portuguese colony. 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.
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 in the 193rd year since around 1833.
Why This Matters:
Angola's experience illustrates how natural resource wealth alone cannot guarantee prosperity without sound governance and institutional safeguards against corruption. The estimated $24 billion stolen or misappropriated under the previous administration represents capital that could have been invested in infrastructure, education, and economic development—investments that create sustainable growth rather than dependency. President Lourenco's efforts to recover stolen funds and address corruption face skepticism about whether they represent genuine institutional reform or political consolidation, a distinction critical to Angola's economic future. With more than 30% of Angolans living on less than $2.15 a day despite the country's status as a major oil and diamond producer, the nation's trajectory will depend on whether market-oriented reforms and rule of law can take root, enabling private enterprise and individual initiative to flourish where centralized control and kleptocracy have failed.