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Pope criticises leaders for spending billions on war
Pope Leo delivered a sharp rebuke to global leaders during his visit to Cameroon, accusing them of squandering vast sums on conflict while neglecting healing, education, and reconstruction. The pontiff's remarks, made in a region plagued by a decade-long insurgency, marked some of his strongest public statements since his election last year.
Unusually forceful remarks in conflict-ridden region
Addressing a crowd at a cathedral in Bamenda, the epicentre of Cameroon's Anglophone crisis, Leo condemned what he called an "endless cycle of destabilisation and death." He accused those who exploit the region's resources of funnelling profits into weapons, perpetuating violence that has killed at least 6,000 people and displaced thousands more since 2017.
"Those who rob your land of its resources generally invest much of the profit in weapons, thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilisation and death."
Pope Leo
The Pope also lamented the ease with which destruction occurs compared to the lengthy process of rebuilding. "The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild," he said.
Call for peace amid tensions with Trump administration
Leo's comments come days after a public spat with US President Donald Trump, who criticised the Pope's stance on the US-Israeli military campaign in Iran. Trump had previously attacked Leo on social media, calling him "WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy" and later deleted an AI-generated image mocking the pontiff.
The Pope, who became the first US-born pontiff last year, has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration's policies, including its approach to immigration and the Iran conflict. During a Palm Sunday Mass in Vatican City, he described the war in Iran as "atrocious" and rejected the use of religion to justify violence, quoting the Bible: "Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood."
Archbishop of Canterbury backs Pope's message
Following Leo's address in Cameroon, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, expressed her support for his "courageous call for a kingdom of peace." She aligned herself with the Pope's plea for leaders to embrace peace rather than perpetuate conflict.
Leo, who has repeatedly urged dialogue over violence, told reporters during his Africa tour that he would not engage in a debate with Trump but would continue to advocate for peace. "I have no fear of the Trump administration," he said upon arriving in Algiers. "I will keep speaking out against war."
Significance of Africa tour
The Pope's visit to Cameroon is part of a broader Africa tour covering 11 cities across four countries. This is his second major foreign trip since his election, underscoring the growing importance of Catholicism on the continent. Africa is home to over 288 million Catholics-more than a fifth of the global Catholic population, according to 2024 figures.
In his closing remarks in Bamenda, Leo emphasised that peace is not something to be invented but embraced. "Peace is not something we must invent: it is something we must embrace by accepting our neighbour as a brother and as our sister," he said.
