{"id":54072,"date":"2026-04-18T06:21:51","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T10:21:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/pope-leo-continues-bold-africa-tour-arrives-in-angola-after-criticizing-world-leaders\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T06:21:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T10:21:51","slug":"pope-leo-continues-bold-africa-tour-arrives-in-angola-after-criticizing-world-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/pope-leo-continues-bold-africa-tour-arrives-in-angola-after-criticizing-world-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"Pope Leo Continues Bold Africa Tour, Arrives in Angola After Criticizing World Leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

Pope Leo arrived in Angola Saturday afternoon, continuing his ambitious tour across Africa where he has emerged as an increasingly bold voice on global issues.<\/p>

The pontiff, who hails from Chicago and is the first American to hold the papacy, landed in the capital city of Luanda around 3 p.m. local time. He’s scheduled to meet with President Jo\u00e3o Louren\u00e7o and speak to the nation’s political leadership about pressing social issues.<\/p>

Before departing Cameroon earlier Saturday, Pope Leo delivered a farewell Mass in Yaounde, offering words of encouragement to those facing the Central African nation’s ongoing struggles, including deadly violence in English-speaking regions that has claimed thousands of lives.<\/p>

“In moments when we seem to be sinking, overcome by adverse forces, when everything appears bleak … Jesus is with us always, stronger than any power of evil,” the pope told Mass attendees.<\/p>

“In every storm, he comes to us and repeats: ‘I am here with you: do not be afraid’,” Pope Leo added.<\/p>

The papal visit to Angola comes as the nation grapples with severe economic inequality despite its status as a major oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa. While petroleum exports make up roughly 95% of the country’s foreign sales, more than 30% of Angola’s 36.6 million residents survive on less than $2.15 daily, World Bank statistics show.<\/p>

Catholics represent more than half of Angola’s population, making this visit particularly significant for the faithful there.<\/p>

During his time in Cameroon, Pope Leo drew enthusiastic crowds, including an estimated 120,000 people who gathered for Friday’s Mass in Douala. Supporters lined roadways wearing colorful clothing decorated with the pope’s image.<\/p>

The pontiff has faced criticism from President Donald Trump this week following papal statements condemning the Iran conflict. On Thursday, Pope Leo declared that the world was “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.”<\/p>

This marks a notable shift for Pope Leo, who maintained a relatively quiet public presence during his initial 10 months in office. However, his current 10-day African journey has featured increasingly direct commentary on warfare and social injustice.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pope Leo arrived in Angola Saturday as part of his four-nation African tour, where he’s expected to address the country’s wealth inequality despite oil riches. The Chicago-born pontiff has adopted a more forceful speaking style recently, including criticism of global conflicts and tyranny.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":54071,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[835],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-religious"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776507711387.jpg?fit=450%2C299&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-e48","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":54410,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/massive-crowds-attend-pope-leos-mass-in-angola-during-historic-africa-tour\/","url_meta":{"origin":54072,"position":0},"title":"Massive Crowds Attend Pope Leo’s Mass in Angola During Historic Africa Tour","author":"Admin","date":"April 19, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"An estimated 200,000 people gathered in Kilamba, Angola on Sunday to attend Mass with Pope Leo, marking a major highlight of his four-nation African tour. The first American pope has been delivering forceful messages about inequality and corruption during his visit to the oil-rich but impoverished nation.","rel":"","context":"In "Religious"","block_context":{"text":"Religious","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/religious\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776594164959.jpg?fit=450%2C299&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":54967,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/pope-leo-condemns-global-authoritarianism-during-angola-visit\/","url_meta":{"origin":54072,"position":1},"title":"Pope Leo Condemns Global Authoritarianism During Angola Visit","author":"Admin","date":"April 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Pope Leo delivered strong remarks against world leaders during his visit to Angola, stating that many people are being exploited by authoritarians and defrauded by the wealthy. The first American pope has adopted increasingly forceful language during his ambitious four-nation African tour.","rel":"","context":"In "Religious"","block_context":{"text":"Religious","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/religious\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776705867410.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":54078,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/pope-leo-xiv-concludes-cameroon-trip-continues-african-tour-to-angola\/","url_meta":{"origin":54072,"position":2},"title":"Pope Leo XIV Concludes Cameroon Trip, Continues African Tour to Angola","author":"Admin","date":"April 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Pope Leo XIV finished his visit to Cameroon with an airport Mass attended by thousands, calling for solidarity structures to help marginalized communities. The pontiff then departed for Angola, the third stop on his four-nation African journey, where he'll address government officials and visit historic Catholic sites.","rel":"","context":"In "Religious"","block_context":{"text":"Religious","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/religious\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776508645062.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776508645062.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776508645062.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776508645062.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":53951,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/popes-angola-visit-to-former-slave-trading-site-highlights-complex-heritage\/","url_meta":{"origin":54072,"position":3},"title":"Pope’s Angola Visit to Former Slave Trading Site Highlights Complex Heritage","author":"Admin","date":"April 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Pope Leo XIV will visit a historic Angolan church that served as a slave trading hub in the 16th century during his African tour. The visit takes on added significance after recent discoveries about the pontiff's own mixed racial ancestry, including both enslaved people and slave owners.","rel":"","context":"In "Religious"","block_context":{"text":"Religious","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/religious\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776476251655.jpg?fit=1000%2C697&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776476251655.jpg?fit=1000%2C697&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776476251655.jpg?fit=1000%2C697&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776476251655.jpg?fit=1000%2C697&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27041,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/pope-leo-xiv-plans-extensive-african-tour-as-part-of-ambitious-2026-travel-schedule\/","url_meta":{"origin":54072,"position":4},"title":"Pope Leo XIV Plans Extensive African Tour as Part of Ambitious 2026 Travel Schedule","author":"Admin","date":"February 25, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Vatican has revealed Pope Leo XIV's ambitious travel itinerary for early 2026, including visits to four African nations and several European countries. The 70-year-old pontiff, who became the first American-born pope last year, will embark on his most extensive international travel schedule after focusing on Vatican duties during the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Religious"","block_context":{"text":"Religious","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/religious\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772022746057.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772022746057.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772022746057.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772022746057.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":54140,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/pope-leo-clarifies-remarks-were-not-directed-at-trump-during-africa-visit\/","url_meta":{"origin":54072,"position":5},"title":"Pope Leo Clarifies Remarks Were Not Directed at Trump During Africa Visit","author":"Admin","date":"April 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Pope Leo addressed tensions with President Trump while traveling to Angola, explaining that his recent criticism of world leaders was not aimed at the former president. The Chicago-born pontiff said his speech about tyrants was written before Trump's social media attacks on him.","rel":"","context":"In "Religious"","block_context":{"text":"Religious","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/religious\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776522129574.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54072","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54072"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54072\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}