Pope Leo XIV criticised, this Saturday in Luanda, the extractivist model and defended the need to break with the “chain of interests,” stressing that Africa must overcome conflict and enmity in order to ensure more balanced development.
According to Lusa, the Supreme Pontiff was speaking in the protocol hall, about an hour after his arrival in Angola, where he was received by President João Lourenço. The ceremony was attended by members of the government, traditional authorities, representatives of the diplomatic corps, and party leaders, among other figures.
In his speech, the Pope warned that the continent is often viewed “more frequently to take something” from its wealth, arguing that “it is necessary to break this chain of interests that reduces reality and life itself to a mere commodity.”
Leo XIV described Africa as “a reservoir of joy and hope,” which he considered “political virtues,” noting that young people and the most vulnerable populations “still dream, still hope, and are not satisfied with what already exists.”
The Catholic leader also highlighted the “very colourful mosaic” of Angolan communities and said he had visited the country to listen to “those who have already chosen good, justice, peace, tolerance and reconciliation.” Referring to the management of natural resources, he warned that these remain, in many cases, concentrated in dominant interests, asking: “how much suffering, how many deaths, how many social and environmental disasters does this extractivist logic entail?”
The Pope also criticised a development model that, he said, “discriminates and excludes,” yet still presents itself as the only possible path, describing it as an expression of a materialist civilisation unable to respond to the expectations of younger generations.
“You are witnesses that creation is harmony in the richness of diversity. When that harmony is violated by the arrogance of some, your people suffer,” he said, pointing to the “scars” left both by material exploitation and by the imposition of external visions.
“Africa cannot continue to be seen as a source of resources, but as a space for dialogue, justice and collective hope.”
Pope Leo XIV
Leo XIV argued that Africa urgently needs to overcome conflict-driven dynamics that “tear apart the social and political fabric of many countries, fostering poverty and exclusion,” stating that it is through dialogue that “life flourishes.”
The Pope stressed that dialogue does not eliminate differences, but can turn into conflict when the sense of a shared horizon is lost, calling for the recognition of peacebuilders and the ability to transform tensions into opportunities for connection.
Addressing Angolan authorities, he said the country could achieve significant growth if its leaders believe in the diversity of its wealth and are not afraid of differences. “Learn, yes, to manage conflicts, transforming them into paths of connection,” he said.
The religious leader insisted on the importance of joy and hope as pillars of society, warning against dynamics that promote passivity and submission. He also criticised the use of fanaticism, polarisation, and media noise as factors of social fragmentation.
“Without joy there is no renewal, without interiority there is no liberation, without encounter there is no politics, without the other there is no justice,” he stated, adding that it is possible to build “a project of hope” in Angola.
On the role of the Catholic Church, he said it seeks to contribute to a fairer model of coexistence, free from dependencies imposed by economic elites, promoting human development in urban peripheries and rural areas.
The Pope concluded by calling for the removal of obstacles to integrated human development, advocating an approach based on inclusion, social justice and collective participation, in a context where Africa continues to face structural challenges linked to natural resource exploitation, economic inequality and institutional fragility.
Source: Diário Económico
