Pope Leo XIV has urged the tens of thousands gathered at the papal Mass in the heart of Angola’s diamond country to trust that “Christ hears the cry of the people” in the face of evil. Source: OSV News.
The Pope yesterday visited Saurimo, a city located near the country’s border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and about 30 kilometres from Angola’s largest diamond mine, Catoca.
Amid the exploitation long associated with Angola’s diamond industry, the Pope delivered a homily in Portuguese that did not shy away from the social realities of a region long marked by resource extraction and inequality.
“We can see today how the hope of many people is frustrated by violence, exploited by the overbearing and defrauded by the rich,” Pope Leo said in his homily. “Consequently, when injustice corrupts hearts, the bread of all becomes the possession of a few.
“In the face of these evils, Christ hears the cry of the people and renews our history by lifting us up from every fall, comforting us in every suffering and encouraging us in our mission,” the Pope said.
Local authorities estimated approximately 40,000 people gathered on the Saurimo esplanade under the hot sun for the Mass, with an additional 20,000 participating from beyond the boundaries of the liturgy’s secured area.
In his homily, the Pope warned against replacing genuine faith with “superstitious practices, in which God becomes an idol that is sought only when it is advantageous to us and only for as long as it is” and “even the most beautiful gifts of the Lord, which are always for the care of his people, become a pretext, a prize or a bargaining chip, and are misinterpreted by those who receive them.”
Pope Leo said that there are “erroneous motives for seeking Christ, particularly when he is considered to be a guru or a good luck charm,” but quickly added that the Lord “does not reject this insincere search, but encourages its conversion.”
“Christ calls us to freedom,” the Pope proclaimed to the Angolan Catholics.
Before the Mass, Pope Leo visited a nursing home that is home to 74 elderly residents ranging in age from 60 to 93. Many arrive in poor physical condition, brought by police who intervene after family members abandon them, often accusing them of witchcraft.
Staff at the home have noted that such accusations are increasingly being used as a pretext to avoid the burden of caring for aging relatives.
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‘Christ hears the cry of the people’ in the face of evil, Pope says at Mass near Angola’s largest diamond mine (By Courtney Mares, OSV News)
