Pope Leo XIV slams 'tyrants' ransacking world on high-security visit to Cameroon

Pope Leo XIV criticised the "tyrants" ransacking the satellite connected Thursday, connected a high-security sojourn to a "bloodstained" portion of Cameroon pursuing a warfare of words with US President Donald Trump.

Since his landmark four-nation African circuit started earlier this week, the pope has abandoned his erstwhile restraint successful speaking retired successful favour of satellite peace, peculiarly aft Trump lashed retired against his disapproval of the Iran war.

"Woe to those who manipulate religion and the precise sanction of God for their ain military, economical and governmental gain, dragging that which is ineffable into acheronian and filth," Leo said successful the northwestern metropolis of Bamenda, the epicentre of a astir decade-long English-speaking separatist insurgency that has killed thousands.

"The satellite is being ravaged by a fistful of tyrants, yet it is held unneurotic by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters," the pontiff warned, successful a solemn code astatine Bamenda's Saint Joseph's Cathedral.

Coming aft US Vice President JD Vance urged the Vatican to "stick to matters of morality," the remarks could deepen the rift betwixt the Trump medication and the Chicago-born pontiff.

Yet the temper was joyous arsenic the pope arrived nether a subject escort successful a popemobile with bulletproof windows, blessing the worshippers who had gathered, galore singing and blowing vuvuzela horns, to invited him to Bamenda.

As helium near the cathedral, the pontiff released achromatic doves, a awesome of bid successful a portion of the cardinal African state helium called a "bloodstained yet fertile onshore that has been mistreated."

"Those who rob your onshore of its resources mostly put overmuch of the nett successful weapons, frankincense perpetuating an endless rhythm of destabilisation and death," helium said.

"They crook a unsighted oculus to the information that billions of dollars are spent connected sidesplitting and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, acquisition and restoration are obscurity to beryllium found," helium added.

'Plunder' of Africa

Later connected Thursday astatine Bamenda airport, which was renovated for the pope's sojourn aft being unopen since 2019 owed to the separatist insurgency, the pope criticised the ongoing exploitation of Africa successful a wide to worshippers.

In an code with a beardown societal message, the pope bemoaned "those who, successful the sanction of profit, proceed to laic their hands connected the African continent to exploit and plunder it."

Cameroon is affluent successful earthy resources specified arsenic oil, timber, cocoa, java and minerals, which person attracted some overseas firms and section elites for decades.

On accomplishment successful the state connected Wednesday, the pope appealed to Cameroon's leaders to analyse their "conscience" and tackle corruption and rights abuses, successful an uncharacteristically pointed code astatine the statesmanlike palace attended by President Paul Biya.

The pontiff’s trip, the 4th to Cameroon by a pope and the archetypal since Pope Benedict XVI successful 2009, comes six months aft the authorities violently enactment down protests against 93-year-old Biya's disputed re-election for an eighth term.

Bolstered security

Security measures had been stepped up connected the main routes done Bamenda for the visit.

Cameroon's 2 anglophone regions person suffered astir a decennary of equipped unit pursuing attempts to secede from the remainder of the mostly French-speaking cardinal African country.

Teacher Vivian Ndey, 60, from Bamenda, welcomed the pope carrying a "plant of peace" arsenic a awesome of hope.

She spoke astatine the cathedral of the trouble of teaching during the crisis, saying teachers were acrophobic to travel to people and students had vanished.

Conflict erupted aft Biya, who has ruled since 1982, violently repressed peaceful demonstrations successful 2016 by English speakers who felt marginalised.

Civilians person been targeted with killings and kidnappings. At slightest 6,000 radical person been killed since 2016, according to the United Nations.

Separatist fighters declared a Republic of Ambazonia successful the 2 regions, which relationship for astir a 5th of the population.

On Monday, separatist groups announced a three-day truce to let for a harmless invited for the pontiff.

After the Bamenda trip, Pope Leo XIV is to clasp a wide astatine a stadium successful the economical superior Douala connected Friday, earlier leaving Cameroon for Angola connected Saturday and past travelling connected to Equatorial Guinea.