Bulletins, Newsletters, and Flocknotes

At approximately 10.50 (local time), Pope Leo XIV arrived at the esplanade in Saurimo and toured among the faithful in an open-top car, before entering the sacristy. At around 11.15, the Pope presided over the Eucharistic celebration.

After the introductory rites and the liturgy of the Word, the Pope delivered his homily.

At the end of Holy Mass, Archbishop José Manuel Imbamba addressed some words of thanks to the Holy Father.

At around 13.15 the Pope returned to the sacristy, before transferring by car to Saurimo Airport where he took leave of some local leaders and then departed for Luanda. The aircraft carrying the Holy Father is expected to land at 15.15.

After greeting some local authorities, the Holy Father will return to the Apostolic Nunciature.

The following is the homily delivered by Pope Leo XIV during the Eucharistic celebration:

 

Homily of the Holy Father

Dear brothers and sisters,

In every part of the world, the Church lives as a people who walk as disciples of Christ, our brother and Redeemer. He, the Risen One, illumines for us the path to the Father and with the strength of the Spirit he sanctifies us so that we may transform our way of life in conformity with his love.  This is the Good News, the Gospel that courses through our veins like blood, sustaining us on the journey.  A journey that has brought me here with you today!  In the joy and beauty of our gathering, united in the name of Jesus, let us listen with open hearts to the Word of salvation for it helps us reflect on the motive and purpose for which we follow the Lord.

Indeed, when the Son of God became man, he performed striking miracles in order to manifest the will of the Father: he made light shine in the darkness by giving sight to the blind, he gave a voice to the oppressed by loosening the tongues of the mute, he slaked our thirst for justice by multiplying bread for the poor and weak.  Anyone who heard about these works set out in search of Jesus.  At the same time, the Lord looks into our heart and asks us whether we seek him out of gratitude or for our own self-interest, with calculation or with love.  In fact, he said to those who were following him: “You are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves” ( Jn  6:26).  His words reveal the designs of those who do not want to encounter a person, but want to consume things.  The crowd sees Jesus as means to an end, a provider of services.  If he had not given them something to eat, his actions and teachings would not have interested them.

This happens when genuine faith is replaced with superstitious practices, in which God becomes an idol that is sought only when it is advantageous to us and only for as long as it is.  Even the most beautiful gifts of the Lord, which are always for the care of his people, become a pretext, a prize or a bargaining chip, and are misinterpreted by those who receive them.  The Gospel account, then, helps us to understand that there are erroneous motives for seeking Christ, particularly when he is considered to be a  guru  or a good luck charm.  Even the motivation of the crowd is inadequate: they were not seeking a teacher whom they love, but a leader to applaud for their own advantage.

How different is Jesus’ attitude toward us.  Yet, he does not reject this insincere search, but encourages its conversion.  He does not dismiss the crowd, but invites everyone to examine what stirs in our hearts.  Christ calls us to freedom: he does not want servants or clients, rather he seeks brothers and sisters to whom he can totally dedicate himself.  To respond with faith to this love, it is not enough to hear Jesus speak: one must accept the meaning of his words.  Neither is it enough to see what Jesus does: one must follow and imitate him.  When in the sign of shared bread we see the will of the Savior, who gives himself for us, only then do we draw closer to a true encounter with Jesus, which become discipleship, mission and service.

The admonition that the Lord directs to the crowd is thus transformed into an invitation: “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life” ( Jn  6:27).  With these words, Christ expresses his true gift to us: he does not call us to be disinterested in our daily bread, which he multiplies in abundance and teaches us to ask for in prayer.  On the contrary, he teaches us the correct way to search for the bread of life, food which sustains us forever.  The desire of the crowd receives a much greater and more surprising response: Jesus does not give us food that passes away, but bread that lasts because it is the food of eternal life.

 His gift sheds light on our current situation.  We can see today how the hope of many people is frustrated by violence, exploited by the powerful and defrauded by the rich.  Consequently, when injustice corrupts hearts, the bread of all becomes the possession of a few.  In the face of these evils, Christ hears the cry of the people and renews our history by lifting us up from every fall, comforting us in every suffering and encouraging us in our mission.  Just as the Eucharist is the living bread that he never ceases to give us, so too his history knows no end.  For this reason, the risen One opens up our lives through the power of his Spirit and removes the end of our history, that is death.  Christ lives!  He is our Redeemer.  This is the Gospel that we share, making all the people of the earth our brothers and sisters.  This is the proclamation that transforms sin into forgiveness.  This is the faith that saves life!

The Easter witness, therefore, certainly pertains to Christ, the crucified one who is risen, but it also pertains even to us because in him the proclamation of our resurrection finds its voice.  We did not come into the world to die.  We were not born to become slaves either to the corruption of the flesh or that of the soul: every form of oppression, violence, exploitation and dishonesty negates the resurrection of Christ, the supreme gift of our freedom.  This liberation from death, in fact, does not happen only at the end of our days, but every day of our lives.  What must we do to welcome such a gift?  The Gospel itself teaches us: “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” ( Jn  6:29).  Yes, let us believe!  Today, let us say it together with strength and with gratitude to you, Lord Jesus.  We want to follow you and serve you in our neighbor: your word is our rule of life, the measure of truth.

“Happy are those who walk in the law of the Lord” ( Ps  119/118:1).  This is the Psalm we sang.  Dear friends, it is the Lord who marks for us the path for this journey, not our exigencies, nor the current fashion.  For this reason, in light of our discipleship the ecclesial journey is a “synod of resurrection and hope,” which Saint John Paul II affirmed in his Apostolic Exhortation on Africa ( Ecclesia in Africa , 13).  Let us proceed in this wise direction!  With the Gospel in your heart, you will have courage in the face of difficulties and disappointments: the way that God has opened for us, never fails.  Indeed, the Lord always walks with us, so that we may continue on his path.  Christ himself guides and strengthens our journey, a journey that we want to learn to live more and more as it should be, that is in a synodal manner.

In this regard, “The Church proclaims the Good News of Christ not only by the proclamation of the Word which she has received from the Lord, but also by the witness of life, thanks to which Christ’s disciples bear witness to the faith, hope and love which dwell in them” ( ibid. , 55 ).  Sharing the Eucharist, the bread of eternal life, we are called to serve our people with a dedication that lifts up all who have fallen, rebuilds whenever violence destroys and shares with joy our fraternal bonds.  Through us, the initiatives of divine grace bear good fruit especially in adversity, as the example of the first martyr Stephen shows us (cf.  Acts  6: 8-15).

Dear friends, the witness of the martyrs and of the saints encourages us and pushes us onto a path of hope, reconciliation and peace, along which the gift of God becomes the responsibility of the head of the household, in the Christian community, in civil society.  Travelling together, in the light of the Gospel, the Church in Angola grows according to the spiritual fruitfulness that begins from the Eucharist and continues in the integral care of each person and of the entire people.  In particular, the vitality of the vocations that you experience is a sign that you are responding to the Lord’s gift, which is always abundant for those who welcome it with pure hearts.  Thanks to the Bread of Life, which we share today, we can continue on the journey of the whole Church, which has as its destination the Kingdom of God, whose light is faith and whose lifeblood is charity.

At approximately 7.30 (local time) Pope Leo XIV arrived at Luanda International Airport where he took leave of some local authorities before departing at 8.03 for Saurimo, where he arrived at 9.16.

After being welcomed by some local leaders, the Pope transferred to the nursing home for the elderly in Saurimo.

Upon arrival, at around 9.59, the Holy Father was welcomed by the director of the home and a representative of the Ministry of Health, who accompanied him to the courtyard, where the residents and staff were present.

After the words of welcome from the director and some testimonies, including one from one of the elderly residents, the Pope delivered his greeting, followed by the blessing and the exchange of gifts.

At the end of the visit, at approximately 10.20, the Holy Father transferred to the esplanade for the celebration of Holy Mass, stopping en route for a brief visit to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, before changing vehicles and continuing in an open-top car.

The following is the greeting addressed by Pope Leo XIV to those present:

 

Address of the Holy Father

Madam Director, Dear brothers and sisters,

Peace to this house and to all who live here!

I warmly thank you for your faith-filled welcome, which touched my heart. It is a great comfort to me as I carry out my mission. Thank you!

It struck me to learn that you call this place “lar,” which means “home.” I thank God for this, and I hope that all of you are truly able to live here in a family atmosphere as much as possible.

Jesus loved to be at the home of his friends. The Gospels tell us that he went to the house of Peter in Capernaum, where one day he healed Peter’s mother in law. They remind us of his friendship with Maria, Martha and Lazarus: in their home in Bethany, he was welcomed as Master and Lord and at the same time with familiarity.

Therefore, dear friends, I would like to think that Jesus also lives here, in this home. Yes, he dwells among you whenever you try to love one another and help one another as brothers and sisters. When you forgive each other and seek reconciliation after a misunderstanding or a small offense, he is here among you. When all of you, or even some of you, pray together with simplicity and humility, he is here among you.

I express my appreciation to the Angolan authorities for the initiatives that benefit the neediest among the elderly, as well as to all staff members and the volunteers. The care of the weakest is a very important sign of the quality of the social life of a nation. Let us not forget that the elderly are not only in need of assistance, but first and foremost need to be listened to, because they preserve the wisdom of a people.

Dear brothers and sisters, I will keep in my heart the memory of this encounter with you. May the Virgin Mary, who filled her home in Nazareth with faith and love, always keep watch over this community. I bless all of you. Thank you!

Resignation and appointment of bishop of Pescia and Pistoia, Italy

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the dioceses of Pescia and Pistoia, Italy, united in persona Episcopi , presented by Bishop Fausto Tardelli.

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Augusto Mascagna, of the clergy of the diocese of Civita Castellana, until now parish priest of the Co-Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Orte and delegate of diocesan family pastoral care, again uniting the two sees in persona Episcopi .

Curriculum vitae

Bishop Augusto Mascagna was born on 12 March 1964 in Caprarola, Viterbo. After entering the Pontifical Roman Seminary, he was awarded a licentiate in theology from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.

He was ordained a priest on 15 April 1989 for the diocese of Civita Castellana.

He has held the following offices: deputy parish priest of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore in Civita Castellana, at the same time leading the parish of San Benedetto in Civita Castellana; parish priest of Regina Pacis in Anguillara and Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio in Rignano Flaminio; spiritual director of seminarians at the Vocational Centre; professor of fundamental theology at the “ Faleritano ” Institute of Religious Sciences and professor of fundamental theology and dogmatic theology at the “ A. Trocchi ” Higher Institute of Religious Sciences in Civita Castellana; and to date, parish priest of the Co-Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Orte, secretary of the Presbyteral Council, diocesan representative of the Synodal Way of Churches in Italy and diocesan family pastoral care delegate.

Upon arrival at Luanda International Airport, the Holy Father was welcomed by the President of Angola, His Excellency Mr. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço. Two children offered a floral tribute to the Pontiff.

After the national anthems, the Honour to the Flags and the passage of the Guard of Honour, the presentation of the respective delegations took place.

At the end of the welcome ceremony, at 15.30 local time, the Holy Father transferred by car to the Presidential Palace for the courtesy visit to the President of the Republic of Angola.

Upon arrival at the Presidential Palace, after passing the Guard of Honour, the Pope was welcomed by the President. Together, they entered the main hall for the official photograph and then proceeded to the Gabinete do Presidente where the private meeting took place.

The Pope and the President continued to the Salão Nobre for the exchange of gifts.

Finally, the Pope and the President transferred by car to the Protocol Pavilion for the meeting with the authorities, civil leaders and the Diplomatic Corps.

 

Meeting with the Authorities, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps

At 16.15, in the Protocol Pavilion of the Presidential Palace, the meeting with the Authorities, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps took place.

After the greeting from the President of the Republic, His Excellency Mr. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, the Holy Father delivered his address.

At the end of the meeting, at 16.45 local time, the Pope transferred to the Apostolic Nunciature for a private meeting with the bishops of Angola.

The following is the address delivered by Pope Leo XIV to those present during the meeting:

 

Address of the Holy Father

Mr President, Distinguished Civil Authorities and Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a source of great joy for me to be in your midst. I express my gratitude to you, Mr President, for the invitation to visit Angola and for your kind words of welcome. I have come among you as a pilgrim, seeking the signs of God’s presence in this land so beloved by him.

Before continuing, I would like to offer the assurance of my prayers for the victims of the heavy rains and floods that have struck the province of Benguela, and to express my closeness to the families who have lost their homes. I also know that you, the people of Angola, are united in a great chain of solidarity with those affected.

I desire to meet you in the spirit born of peace and to affirm that your people possess treasures that cannot be bought or taken away. In particular, there dwells within you a joy that not even the most adverse circumstances have been able to extinguish. This joy — which is no stranger to sorrow, indignation, disappointment and defeat — endures and is continually reborn among those who have kept their hearts and minds free from the seductions of wealth. You know well that all too often people have looked — and continue to look — to your lands in order to give, or, more commonly, in order to take. It is necessary to break this cycle of interests, which reduces reality, and even life itself, to mere commodities.

For the entire world, Africa is a reservoir of joy and hope, which are virtues that I would not hesitate to call “political,” because her young people and her poor continue to dream and to hope. They are not content with what already exists; they strive to rise above, to prepare themselves for great responsibilities, and to take an active part in shaping their own future. Indeed, the wisdom of a people cannot be stifled by any ideology, and the longing for the infinite that dwells in the human heart is a principle of social transformation far deeper than any political or cultural program. I am here among you, at the service of the finest powers that animate the persons and communities, of which Angola is a rich and vibrant mosaic. I wish to listen to and encourage all those who have already chosen the paths of goodness, justice, peace, tolerance and reconciliation. At the same time, together with the millions of men and women of good will who constitute the primary wealth of this country, I also pray for the conversion of those who choose contrary paths and hinder its harmonious and fraternal development.

Dear friends, I have mentioned the material riches upon which powerful interests lay their claim, even within your own country. How much suffering, how many deaths, how many social and environmental disasters are brought about by this logic of extractivism! At every level, we see how it sustains a model of development that discriminates and excludes, while still presuming to impose itself as the only viable option.  Saint Paul VI , with keen insight into the concerns of younger generations, already sixty years ago denounced the “senile and definitely out-of-date aspect of a commercial, hedonistic and materialistic civilization which is still trying to present itself as the gateway to the future.” He observed: “Even in its very excesses, the instinctive reaction of many young people against this illusion takes on a certain importance. This generation is waiting for something else” (Apostolic Exhortation  Gaudete in Domino , VI). You are witnesses — thanks to the ancient wisdom that shapes your thoughts and sensibilities — that creation is harmony in the richness of diversity. Your people have suffered time and again when this harmony was violated by the arrogance of a few. They bear the scars not only of material exploitation, but also of the presumption of imposing an idea upon others. Africa urgently needs to overcome situations and dynamics of conflict and enmity that tear apart the social and political fabric of many countries, fostering poverty and exclusion. Only in encounter does life flourish. Dialogue is the first step. This does not rule out disagreement, which can turn into conflict.

My venerable predecessor,  Pope Francis , offered an unforgettable reflection in this regard: “When conflict arises, some people simply look at it and go their way as if nothing happened; they wash their hands of it and get on with their lives. Others embrace it in such a way that they become its prisoners; they lose their bearings, project onto institutions their own confusion and dissatisfaction and thus make unity impossible. But there is also a third way, and it is the best way to deal with conflict. It is the willingness to face conflict head on, to resolve it and to make it a link in the chain of a new process. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers!’ ( Mt  5:9)” (Apostolic Exhortation  Evangelii Gaudium , 227). Angola can experience great growth if, first of all, those who hold authority in the country believe in the manifold nature of its riches. Do not be afraid of disagreement; do not suppress the ideas of the young or the dreams of the elderly; and know how to manage conflicts by transforming them into paths of renewal. Place the common good before every particular interest, never confusing your own part with the whole. History will then vindicate you, even if in the near term some may oppose you.

I have spoken of the joy and hope that characterize your young society. While these are often considered merely as personal, private sentiments, they are, in truth, a profound and empowering force — one that resists every form of resignation and every temptation to close in on oneself. Despots and tyrants of both body and spirit seek to render souls passive and passions gloomy; they prefer a populace prone to inertia, docile and subservient to power. For in sadness, we are indeed at the mercy of our fears and imagination; we take refuge in fanaticism, in submission, in the deafening noise of the media, in the glimmer of gold, in the identitarian myth. Discontent, a sense of powerlessness and uprootedness divide us rather than bringing us together. This spreads a climate of estrangement from the public sphere, contempt for the misfortune of others and the negation of all fraternity. Such discord disintegrates the constitutive relationships that each person maintains with oneself, with others and with reality. As  Pope Francis  also observed: “The best way to dominate and gain control over people is to spread despair and discouragement, even under the guise of defending certain values. Today, in many countries, hyperbole, extremism and polarization have become political tools” (Encyclical Letter  Fratelli Tutti ,, 15).

True joy frees us from such alienation — joy which faith rightly recognizes as a gift of the Holy Spirit. As Saint Paul wrote: “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace” ( Gal  5:22). Indeed, joy intensifies life and leads to the creation of community: each person rejoices by putting to use his or her relational capacities, realizing one’s contribution to the common good and receiving recognition as a unique and worthy person within a community of growing encounters that enlarge the spirit. Joy knows how to carve paths even in the darkest zones of stagnation and hardship. Let us therefore examine our own hearts, dear friends, because 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.

Together, you can make Angola a project of hope. The Catholic Church, whose service to the country I know you greatly esteem, desires to be leaven in the dough and to foster the growth of a just model of coexistence, free from the various forms of slavery imposed by the elite who are laden with much wealth but false joys. Only together can we multiply the talents of this wonderful people, even in the urban peripheries and the remotest rural areas, where life is vibrant and the future of the people is being prepared. Let us remove the obstacles to integral human development, working and hoping together alongside those whom the world has discarded but whom God has chosen. For thus our hope has arisen: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone” ( Ps  118:22), Jesus Christ, the fullness of man and of history.

May God bless Angola!

Thank you.

Today, on the aircraft that carried him to Angola, the Holy Father Leo XIV addressed the following words of greeting to those who accompanied him on the flight:

Leo XIV

Buongiorno. Bonjour. Good morning everyone. Good afternoon already. I hope you had a good time in Cameroon.  And, as you know of course, we are on our way now to Angola. 

On the one hand, the visit in Cameroon was very significant because in many ways it represents the heart of Africa, in many different ways, both English-speaking and French-speaking, around 250 local languages, ethnicities. 

At the same time, it has great wealth, great opportunity, but also the difficulty we find throughout Africa, so many times, of an unequal distribution of wealth. I was personally very pleased: as you know, we began the trip in Algeria with the theme of Saint Augustine, and  yesterday, at the Catholic University , there was the blessing of the beautiful monument that they had prepared with the map of Africa and Saint Augustine at the center. And so, in one sense, it expresses part of what this trip is about. 

And I primarily come to Africa as a pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church, to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all of the Catholics throughout Africa. And yet there are, of course, other dimensions to the visit. I had a very fine meeting with a group of Imams in Cameroon to promote –- continue to promote, as we have done in other places already and as  Pope Francis  has done during his pontificate –– the dialogue, promotion of fraternity, through understanding, acceptance, peace-building with people of all faiths. 

At the same time, there has been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when, on the first day of the trip, the President of the United States made some comments about myself. Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary trying to interpret what has been said.  

Just one little example: the  talk that I gave at the prayer meeting for peace  a couple of days ago was prepared two weeks ago, well before the President ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting. And yet, as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the President, which is not in my interest at all. So we go on the journey, we continue proclaiming the Gospel message, and the text of the Gospel we have been using for the liturgies give a number of different, fantastic, beautiful aspects of what it is about to be Christian, of what it is about to follow Christ, of what it is about to promote fraternity, brotherhood, trusting in the Lord, but also looking for ways to promote justice in our world, promote peace in our world.  

So with that note, I am very happy to greet all of you, and thank you for the work that you are doing, and I hope that the Lord will continue to bless all of us on this trip. Thank you very much.  

Cameroon journalist [in French]:

A few words in French? Yes, thank you, thank you very much, Your Holiness, we just wanted to hear a few words from you in French, since Cameroon is bilingual. I work for Cameroon’s national television station. 

Leo XIV

I would just like to thank everyone in Cameroon for the wonderful welcome, the great enthusiasm, the joy of the people. It was absolutely fantastic. The experience of a faith community people who really discovered in the shared enthusiasm, if you will, how wonderful it is to experience what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to celebrate our faith together. And that enthusiasm was very much present in Cameroon. I am very happy to have had the experience and to accompany all of your people during these days.