Pope Leo XIV will on Thursday hold an open-air mass in Equatorial Guinea, marking the conclusion of an 11-day landmark tour across Africa that represents his first major international journey as head of the Catholic Church.
The trip, which combined political and pastoral messaging, took the pontiff across four countries and involved approximately 18,000 kilometres (11,000 miles) of travel and eight public masses.
Throughout the visit, Pope Leo repeatedly called for social justice, peace, and respect for human dignity, while condemning inequality, corruption, and what he described as the unjust exploitation of Africa’s natural resources by “tyrants.”
On Wednesday, the Pope visited the notorious Bata prison in Equatorial Guinea, where he met hundreds of inmates and criticised the living conditions in the facility.
He is expected to celebrate an outdoor mass at 10:00 am (0900 GMT) at a stadium in Malabo, the country’s former capital, before departing for Rome later in the day.
A traditional in-flight press conference is also scheduled, which is expected to draw attention given recent political tensions involving US President Donald Trump, who has been openly critical of the pontiff.
Leo has denied that his remarks during the Africa tour were directed at Trump, stating that his speeches were prepared before the US President referred to him as “weak” and “incompetent in foreign policy.”
The pope arrived in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday after earlier stops in Algeria, Cameroon, and Angola, where he also engaged with leaders often criticised for authoritarian governance.
During his address in Equatorial Guinea, held in the presence of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who has ruled since 1979, the pontiff called for expanded civic freedoms and condemned poor prison conditions.
He also warned against economic exploitation of Africa, saying those driven by profit “continue to lay their hands on the African continent to exploit and plunder it.”
Robert Francis Prevost, 70, has been noted for his energetic leadership style, contrasting with his predecessor Pope Francis, who died a year ago at age 88.
The pontiff is expected to undertake his next foreign visit to Spain from June 6 to 12.
