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Pope Leo arrives in Equatorial Guinea on Africa tour

newsApr 21, 202623318

Pope Leo XIV landed in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Tuesday to begin the final leg of his four-nation Africa tour. Aboard the flight from Angola he commemorated the first anniversary of Pope Francis' death, praising Francis' "generosity and mercy" as a guiding legacy. During the trip he condemned exploitation of Africa's mineral wealth and warned that ongoing wars and a breakdown of international law risk "tragically compromising" humanity's future. The Malabo visit is diplomatically sensitive because Equatorial Guinea's oil-rich, authoritarian government will test the Vatican's balance between human rights criticism and maintaining diplomatic ties.

Key Highlights

Pope Leo XIV landed in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, for the final tour leg.
He commemorated Pope Francis' first death anniversary, praising "generosity and mercy".
He condemned exploitation of Africa's minerals and warned wars threaten humanity's future.
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