As Pope Leo arrives in Bamenda today, it is helpful to reflect on the symbolic reason for his visit to Africa at this time, so early in his papacy. Leo’s decision to come to Africa at a time when most global figures are shutting out Africa speaks to his humility and the centrality he places on Africa as a continent, his message of peace, and his desire to see peaceful co-existence between Christians of different denominations and between Christians and Muslims.
Here are the top five reasons for Leo XIV’s visit to Africa:
1- The future of the Catholic Church is in Africa
There are over 200 million Catholics in Africa alone, the vast majority of whom are from Cameroon. Cameroon also has some of the largest numbers of Catholic priests and nuns serving in Western countries and other parts of the world – and the Vatican has noticed this shift. In the early 1900s (just over a century ago), there were barely a million Catholics in Africa, and the growth in numbers within a year has made even the Pope notice that the future of the Catholic Church is in Africa. While the Catholic Church grows in Africa, there has been a relative decline in the West.
2- A Personal Pilgrimage
Pope Leo is from the order of St. Augustine (who is considered one of the early Church Fathers) and a respected theologian within Christian circles. Pope Leo is himself an Augustinian, and his visit to Algeria (Augustine’s birthplace), is more than just symbolic; it is personal. While in Algeria, he visited the basilica where Augustine prayed and encouraged the small Catholic community in the Muslim-majority nation.
3- Dialogue Between Muslims and Christians
The Pope is aware that in most African countries, conflicts are often rooted in religious differences. This has certainly been the case in numerous African countries, including in Algeria itself, where he began his tour of Africa. Muslims and Christians clashed in Algeria in the 1990s. With a population of 48 million, only 9,000 of them are Catholics, yet the Pope knew that he had to visit Algeria and encourage interfaith dialogue between Muslims and Christians. He visited the largest Mosque in Algeria, where the Imam welcomed him, showed him around and gave him a welcome gift. The Pope’s gesture is meant to bring peace and harmony between Muslims and Christians.
4- A Message of Peace
At the heart of the Pope’s message to all countries is his unrelenting message of peace. His choice of visit to Algeria was partly to encourage peace and dialogue between Muslims and Christians, and his tour of Cameroon and the very personal choice to visit Bamenda (a city scarred by conflict for nearly a decade), is to preach peace. The Pope was very categorical in this messaging and told President Biya that “Peace cannot be decreed…it must be lived”. He further urged Biya not to reduce peace to merely a slogan. The Pope invited the leaders of the Baptist and Presbyterian churches to join him in this peace crusade and also invited local Imams to help bridge the gap.
5- A Word to Sit-tight Rulers
Paul Biya and Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea are both Catholics who have ruled their respective countries for nearly 50 years both. Both men have a poor human rights record; both are very old and frail, and there is no clear succession plan in either country. The Pope, who is a peace crusader, understands the risks of conflict if these men pass on while still in office. The Pope, while not a politician, has a moral weight which they cannot ignore. Both countries, as well as Algeria and Angola, are mineral-rich nations where entrenched rulers profit from the natural resources of their countries, while their populations languish in poverty, and the Pope knew that he had to use his moral authority to speak to these issues plaguing the African continent.
