Leo XIV stated that “the world is being destroyed by a few tyrants”at a peace meeting in Bamenda, in the northwest of Cameroon, a region in civil war for a decade.
“Woe to those who bend religions and the very name of God to their own military, economic and political interests, dragging what is holy into the most sordid and dark!”, lamented the pontiff at the meeting held at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Bamenda.
A movement of Muslims and Christians for peace
Leo
According to the UN, 1.8 of the 4 million inhabitants of English-speaking regions need humanitarian aidwhile some 250,000 children are affected by school closures due to the conflict.
The American pontiff praised the fact that Muslims and Christians have created a movement for Peace in Bamenda: “In how many places on earth I would like the same thing to happen! Blessed are those who work for peace!” he exclaimed. And he expressed his gratitude to all those people, specifically women, lay and religious, who care for people traumatized by violence in this region.
Against “those who plunder the earth’s resources”
In this sense he added: “Warlords pretend not to know that an instant is enough to destroy, but that often a life is not enough to rebuild. They pretend not to see that billions of dollars are needed to kill and devastate, and that the necessary resources are not found to heal, educate and uplift.”
Besides, The pope charged against “those who plunder the earth’s resources” and “who usually invest a large part of the profits in weapons, in a spiral of destabilization and endless death.” And he criticized that “the world is being destroyed by a few tyrants and is kept standing thanks to an immensity of brothers and sisters in solidarity.”
Although Cameroon is rich in resources such as oil, gas or minerals, 26.7% of the population is in poverty, according to the World Bank (WB). “This is a world turned upside down, a distortion of God’s creation that every right conscience must denounce and repudiate,” added Leo XIV.
Visiting Africa, after Trump’s verbal attacks
The Pope is on a trip to the African continent, the first stage of which was Algeria and which, after Cameroon, will also take him to Angola and Equatorial Guinea.
The beginning of the trip has been marked by the verbal attacks of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, against the pope, whom he called “weak against crime” and “an unpleaser in foreign policy.”for their appeals in desire of peace. Robert Prevost responded that he is not afraid of him and that he will continue to raise his voice to build peace.
Today he reiterated this message to the religious and faithful who filled the Cathedral of San José: “Let’s work together for peace!”
