Today's Edition
DOUALA (REUTERS)
Pope Leo called on Cameroonians on Friday to reject violence and be generous with their neighbours during an event billed as the biggest of his four-nation Africa tour, with roughly 120,000 people flocking to a Mass he led in the port city of Douala.
Amid heavy security, some believers had made their way on Thursday to the city's Japoma Stadium, venue of the Mass, and slept overnight outside on mats to hear Friday's address from the pontiff, who is outspoken on war and inequality.
By Friday morning, streets near the stadium were lined with crowds singing, dancing and holding umbrellas to shield themselves from the heat.
After arriving in Douala, Cameroon's largest city and economic hub, by plane from the capital Yaounde, Leo told the crowd that many in the country are suffering from "material and spiritual poverty" but he urged believers to reject violence as a means to get ahead, regardless of the hardships they face.
"Do not give in to distrust and discouragement," the pope said, in an appeal made in English during a speech that was otherwise mostly in French. "Reject every form of abuse or violence, which deceives by promising easy gains but hardens the heart and makes it insensitive."
Leo, the first-ever American pope, has debuted a new, forceful speaking style on his Africa tour. In Yaounde on Thursday, he said the world was "being ravaged by a handful of tyrants", and has also this week decried violations of international law by "neocolonial" world powers, saying "the whims of the rich and powerful" threaten peace.
Invoking the miracle mentioned in the Gospels in which Jesus fed thousands with meagre resources, Leo said: "There is bread for everyone if it is given to everyone. There is bread for everyone if it is taken, not with a hand that snatches away, but with a hand that gives."
After returning to Yaounde on Friday afternoon, Leo met with students and professors at the Catholic University of Central Africa, which educates young people from across the region.
During the event, the pope referred to "the darker side of the environmental and social devastation caused by the relentless pursuit of raw materials."
He drew a loud cheer when he said the continent "must be freed from the scourge of corruption."
Crowds greeting the pope on his visit to Cameroon have been enthusiastic, lining the streets along his routes and wearing colourful fabrics featuring images of his face.
Bishop Leopold Bayemi Matjei called Leo's visit "a moment of great joy" and said he hoped it meant God would bless Cameroon.
Friday was Leo's last full day in Cameroon. He is scheduled to travel to Angola on Saturday.
