Pope Leo called on Cameroonians to abandon violence and practice generosity toward their neighbors during a mass in the port city of Douala on Friday, drawing an estimated 120,000 worshippers in what organizers described as the largest gathering of his African tour.
The mass was held at Japoma Stadium under heavy security, with some devotees arriving as early as Thursday to secure their place, sleeping overnight on mats outside the venue ahead of the pontiff's address, according to reporting by the South China Morning Post.
Pope Leo, who has emerged as a vocal figure on issues of war and economic inequality since assuming the papacy, used the occasion to deliver a message centered on peace and communal responsibility. His appeal comes at a significant moment for Cameroon, a country that has faced prolonged internal conflict in its Anglophone regions, where separatist tensions have fueled years of violence and humanitarian strain.
A prominent stop on a four-nation tour
The Douala mass represents the centerpiece of Pope Leo's broader visit to Africa, a trip that has drawn considerable international attention given his willingness to speak directly on geopolitical and social issues. The scale of the gathering underscores the deep influence of the Catholic Church across sub-Saharan Africa, a region that now accounts for a substantial and growing share of the global Catholic population.
Cameroon itself is a religiously diverse country, with Catholics forming one of the largest faith communities. The presence of tens of thousands of worshippers - some of whom traveled long distances and endured an overnight wait outside the stadium - reflects the significance many believers attached to the papal visit.
Message of nonviolence and solidarity
The pope's call to reject violence aligns with positions he has taken on conflicts elsewhere in the world, including his public commentary on ongoing wars and the suffering of civilian populations. His emphasis on generosity toward neighbors also carries resonance in a region where displacement and intercommunal tension have strained social cohesion in several countries.
Details on the remaining stops of the pope's African itinerary and any further statements made during the tour were not immediately available from the source material at time of publication.
