Pope Leo XIV is back at the Vatican after a busy 11-day trip, visiting four countries in Africa. The pastoral visits, and the press conferences on the plane between stops, gave us new insights into how the pope sees his role in the world and in the church.
First, many people were concerned that the four countries Leo visited — Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea — all possess governments that have been criticized as authoritarian. The government of Equatorial Guinea actually has an agreement with the Trump administration to take in deportees in exchange for cash.
Leo got his message through, engaging the civil authorities but challenging the societies as a whole to greater justice. He went to the port city of Bata to visit with the inmates at one of Equatorial Guinea’s most notorious prisons.
“You are not alone. Your families love you and are waiting for you. Many people outside these walls are praying for you,” Leo told the inmates, speaking in Spanish. “If any of you fear being abandoned by everyone, know that God will never abandon you, and that the church will stand by your side.”
Papal visits to prisons are always among the most poignant. Almost no one in our society imitates the Lord Jesus who announced in the Gospel of Luke that his ministry included preaching liberty to captives. Except our clergy.
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With thanks to National Catholic Reporter and Michael Sean Winters, where this article originally appeared.
