Pope Leo XIV arrived in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday, marking the final leg of his African tour and launching a critique of the “colonization” of the region’s minerals and the “lust for power” in the country.
- This marks the first papal visit to Equatorial Guinea since St. John Paul II visited in 1982.
- Pope Leo XIV denounced the global pursuit of profit and the exploitation of African mineral deposits.
- Despite significant oil wealth, more than half of the country’s nearly 2 million people live in poverty.
Adoring crowds lined the roads into the capital, Malabo, to welcome the pontiff. Leo arrived at the presidential palace in an open-sided popemobile, wearing his formal red mozzetta cape.
The Pope met with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the continent’s longest-serving leader, who has been in office since 1979. Obiang has faced widespread accusations of authoritarianism and corruption.
Economic Inequality and Mineral Colonization
Addressing government officials and diplomats, Pope Leo XIV quoted the late Pope Francis to denounce income inequalities driven by a global economy focused on profit at all costs.
Leo stated that the proliferation of armed conflicts is often fueled by the “colonization of oil and mineral deposits,” frequently occurring without regard for international law or self-determination.
The comments come as the Trump administration seeks to secure access to Africa’s critical minerals to compete with China. This effort includes investing in the Lobito Corridor rail project to export minerals from Zambia and Congo through Angola.
Equatorial Guinea’s own economy was transformed by offshore oil discoveries in the mid-1990s. Oil now accounts for more than 90% of exports and nearly half of the GDP, though rights groups say these revenues have primarily enriched the ruling Obiang family.
Two Models of Cities
During meetings at the old presidential palace, the Pope referenced St. Augustine’s “City of God” to contrast the “earthly city” with a divine model of love and care for the poor.
This occurred as the government prepares to move its capital to a new mainland city called Ciudad de la Paz. Critics argue the new project will exacerbate existing inequalities and allow the presidential circle to further enrich themselves.
While Leo did not explicitly name the Obiang family’s corruption, he warned against the “lust for power and worldly glory” and the pursuit of “unjust wealth.”
Faith and Political Tension
Though officially secular, approximately 75% of Equatorial Guinea’s population is Catholic. Some activists claim the local church is intrinsically linked to the government due to fear and monetary gains.
The Rev. Fortunatus Nwachukwu of the Vatican’s missionary evangelization office stated that while the church should not “go to war” with the government, it must continue to preach justice and human dignity.
The country also faces criticism over the harassment of political opponents and controversial deals with the Trump administration to receive deported migrants. At least 29 migrants with no ties to the country have been deported there, some remaining in detention in Malabo.
Pope Leo XIV has described the Trump administration’s migration deportation policies as “extremely disrespectful.” He is scheduled to visit a prison in the port city of Bata on Wednesday.
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