In a powerful display of moral leadership, Pope Leo XIV was greeted by an ocean of 120,000 faithful at Japoma Stadium on Friday.
The visit, a highlight of his four-nation Africa tour, saw the first American-born pontiff deliver a stinging critique of global inequality and local corruption.
As the morning sun beat down on the cheering crowds, the Pope did not mince words regarding the “material and spiritual poverty” facing the nation. He pointedly attacked the hoarding of resources stating:
“There is bread for everyone if it is given to everyone. There is bread for everyone if it is taken, not with a hand that snatches away but with a hand that gives.”
The pontiff’s address also touched on the internal conflicts and “neocolonial” pressures affecting the continent.
He warned that the world is “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants” and urged the youth to resist the lure of corruption.
Despite the hardships many face, he pleaded with the assembly to “reject every form of abuse or violence which deceives by promising easy gains but hardens the heart.”
The visit has been hailed by local leaders as a “moment of great joy” offering a rare message of hope to a region long divided by economic and social strife.”
