Violet Riquelme
Pope Leo XIV faces a packed schedule on the penultimate day of his African tour. His scheduled itinerary includes three flights and visits to three cities in Equatorial Guinea.
Mongomo is one of the most important cities in the African country. It is home to the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception—the second largest basilica in Africa—and it was there that Pope Leo presided over Mass.
POPE LEO XIV
So, brothers and sisters, even when the personal, family, and social situations we face are not always favorable, we can trust in the work of the Lord, who brings forth the good seed of his Kingdom in ways we do not always see.
Pope Leo XIV's visit coincided with a huge milestone for Equatorial Guinea: the 170th anniversary of the territory's evangelization. This was made possible by missionaries, diocesan priests, catechists, and lay faithful who dedicated their lives to the cause. That mission now belongs not only to them, but to all Equatorial Guineans.
POPE LEO XIV
And this is not an unknown future that we must wait for passively, but one we are called to build ourselves, with the grace of God.
The next stop on Pope Leo's packed itinerary is the city of Bata, the site of devastating explosions at a military barracks in 2021 that killed more than 100 people. The pope is expected to honor the victims at the memorial built in their honor.
