Pope Leo Condemns Exploitation By Authoritarians And The Rich During Angola Mass

Pope Leo used his Angola trip to condemn exploitation by “authoritarians” and “the rich,” delivering the message during a Mass in Saurimo, “near the Democratic Republic of Congo border,” as his 10-day Africa tour entered its third leg.

“Reuters Pope Leo lamented during an event in Angola on Monday that many people in the world were being "exploited by authoritarians and defrauded by the rich", the latest example of a ‌forceful new speaking style he has adopted on his four-nation Africa tour”

Devdiscourse

The South China Morning Post described the visit as “the third leg of an ambitious 10-day Africa tour,” noting stops in “11 cities and towns in four countries” and “nearly 18,000 km (11,185 miles) over 18 flights.”

Devdiscourse

marketscreener quoted Pope Leo telling worshippers in Saurimo: “We can see today how the hope of many people is frustrated by violence, exploited by the authoritarians and defrauded by the rich.”

marketscreener added that Monday was “Leo's last full day in Angola” and that he would “head on Tuesday to Equatorial Guinea, the final leg of his Africa tour.”

vijesti.me similarly reported that Pope Leo complained during an event in Angola that many people are “exploited by authoritarian regimes and cheated by the rich,” framing the remarks as part of “the latest example of his more assertive style of speaking.”

Devdiscourse, also citing Reuters, said Pope Leo lamented that many people were being “exploited by authoritarians and defrauded by the rich,” and tied the condemnation to a Christian message about violence and oppression.

vijesti.me said the pope told the faithful at a mass in Saurimo that “violence and oppression are contrary to the Christian message,” while marketscreener emphasized that “violence and oppression went against the Christian message.”

Multiple outlets tied Pope Leo’s Angola remarks to the broader structure and schedule of the trip, emphasizing both the geographic scope and the timing of his statements.

The South China Morning Post said the visit to Angola marked “the third leg of an ambitious 10-day Africa tour,” describing it as “one of the most complicated ever conducted by a pope,” with stops in “11 cities and towns in four countries” and “traversing nearly 18,000 km (11,185 miles) over 18 flights.”

marketscreener

marketscreener likewise described the Angola stop as “the third leg of an ambitious 10-day Africa tour,” and specified that “Monday is Leo's last full day in Angola” before he “heads on Tuesday to Equatorial Guinea.”

Devdiscourse echoed the same travel framing, saying the tour was “the third leg of an ambitious 10-day Africa tour” and that it involved “nearly 18,000 km (11,185 miles) over 18 flights.”

vijesti.me added that Pope Leo’s remarks came during “an event in Angola” on Monday and described the tour as “four African countries,” with “a total of almost 18.000 kilometers of travel across 18 flights.”

The outlets also described Pope Leo’s approach over the course of his papacy, with the South China Morning Post saying he “kept a relatively low profile in the first 10 months of his papacy” before issuing “forceful denunciations of war and inequality during his Africa tour.”

vijesti.me similarly said he “kept a relatively low profile for the first 10 months of his pontificate, but during this tour he delivered strong condemnations of war and inequality.”

Reuters-linked reporting across outlets connected Pope Leo’s Angola remarks to a specific theological framing and to his broader pattern of criticizing world leaders without naming individuals.

“The US pope, who has drawn the ire of President Donald Trump, has repeatedly criticised world leaders, without naming individuals His visit to ⁠Angola marks the third leg of an ambitious 10-day Africa tour, one of the most complicated ever conducted by a pope, ‌with stops in 11 cities and towns in four countries, traversing nearly 18,000 km (11,185 miles) over 18 flights”

South China Morning Post

marketscreener quoted the pope at Mass in Saurimo saying, “Consequently, when injustice corrupts hearts, the bread of all becomes the possession of a few,” and it described how he told worshippers that “violence and oppression went against the Christian message.”

Devdiscourse carried a closely related Reuters account, quoting the pontiff: “Every form of oppression, violence, exploitation and dishonesty negates the resurrection of Christ,” and it added that Pope Leo “repeatedly criticised world leaders, without naming individuals.”

vijesti.me also quoted Pope Leo directly, saying: “Every form of oppression, violence, exploitation and dishonesty denies the resurrection of Christ,” and it described the remarks as part of “his more assertive style of speaking during a tour of four African countries.”

The outlets also addressed Pope Leo’s relationship with U.S. politics, with the South China Morning Post saying the pope “has drawn the ire of President Donald Trump,” and marketscreener stating that “The first U.S. pope, who has drawn the ire of President Donald Trump with his more outspoken comments” delivered the condemnation in Angola.

vijesti.me reported that “The pope told reporters on Sunday that his speeches during the tour were written weeks ago and were not directly aimed at Trump,” placing the remarks in a context of timing and intent.

vijesti.me and Devdiscourse both tied his criticism to “the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, which began on February 28.”

Beyond the content of Pope Leo’s remarks, the reporting described the scale of public reception in Angola and the settings where he spoke.

vijesti.me said “The masses in Angola, where 80 percent of the population identify as Christian — about half of whom are Catholic — welcomed Leo with enthusiasm,” describing “people lining the streets, dancing and cheering to greet him.”

vijesti.me

Devdiscourse similarly described “ENTHUSIASTIC CROWDS,” saying crowds in Angola were enthusiastic as “people lining streets along his routes and dancing and screaming to greet him.”

Both outlets described two Sunday events, with vijesti.me saying “Two events on Sunday — a mass attended by crowds on a dirt field and a prayer service at a site that was once the center of the transatlantic slave trade — drew about 130,000 people.”

Devdiscourse likewise said “Two events on Sunday, a Mass attended by throngs in a dirt field and a prayer at a site that was once a hub for transatlantic slavery, drew roughly 130,000 people.”

The outlets also described Pope Leo’s age and the framing of his speaking style, with vijesti.me calling him “the 70-year-old pope” and saying on Saturday he condemned exploitation of natural resources in Africa by “despots and tyrants.”

vijesti.me and Devdiscourse both reported that “last Thursday” he said the world was “ravaged” or “being ravaged” by “a few” or “a handful” of tyrants.

The reporting framed Pope Leo’s Angola visit as a lead-in to his next stop in Equatorial Guinea, describing both the planned sequence and the political context he would face.

“Reuters Pope Leo lamented during an event in Angola on Monday that many people in the world were being "exploited by authoritarians and defrauded by the rich", the latest example of a ‌forceful new speaking style he has adopted on his four-nation Africa tour”

Devdiscourse

marketscreener said Monday was “Leo's last full day in Angola” and that he would “head on Tuesday to Equatorial Guinea, the final leg of his Africa tour.”

Devdiscourse

Devdiscourse similarly said “He heads on Tuesday to Equatorial Guinea, the final leg of his Africa tour,” and it added that he “will give a speech there to the country's political leaders after meeting with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.”

vijesti.me provided additional detail, saying he would “deliver a speech to the country's political leaders after meeting with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has been in power since 1979, making him the world's longest-serving president.”

The outlets also described the country’s reputation and the government’s response, with vijesti.me saying “Equatorial Guinea is often criticized as one of the most repressive countries in the region,” while “the authorities reject accusations of human rights abuses and corruption.”

Devdiscourse likewise said “Equatorial Guinea is widely criticised as one of the most repressive countries in the region” and that “The government denies allegations of human rights abuses and corruption.”

The sources portray a final-leg itinerary that moves from public reception in Angola to a meeting with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and a speech to political leaders in Equatorial Guinea.