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The Pope in Africa
19 April 2026
We are following Pope Leo XIV’s trip to Africa with great interest. After Algeria, he visited Cameroon, our neighbour (in many ways), and is now in Angola, from where he will travel to Equatorial Guinea, the final stop on his tour.
It is interesting that Pope Leo chose Africa for his first major trip. His previous trips (to Turkey and Lebanon) had already been arranged by Pope Francis.
Africa is a continent of hope, both for humanity and for the Church.
The journey, and above all the speeches, are deeply meaningful and rich, and resonate powerfully here in the Central African Republic too. In Bamenda, an area torn apart by tensions between Anglophones and Francophones, whilst speaking of the challenges facing the country – poverty, corruption, violence, migration – he forcefully reminded everyone that “God is new” and that he makes believers “capable of confronting evil and building good”. And this does not apply only to Cameroon!
After the mission to Zemio, I had a few (slightly) quieter days.
On Sunday 12 April, I celebrated Mass in the chapel of Our Lady of Hope, in the Maliko district here in Bangassou. Inaugurated last year on 25 March, it is becoming a small, lively community.
On Monday I am in Lanome, where we have resumed work on the construction of the church.
On Tuesday, Bishop Aguirre returns to Bangassou after spending almost three weeks in Obo and Mboki.
We’re getting back to work together these days, partly because there are so many files to go through and so many decisions to make.
On Saturday morning I’m off to Bandoufou, 25 km away. There I’ll celebrate Mass, accompanied by a small choir and supported by a little boy playing a makeshift drum set!
After Mass, I meet with the local people, because we are going to build a school here for the more than 200 children. Until now, lessons have been held under some thatched shelters, and it is time to offer something better for the future of the village.
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| I bambini del centro orfani con i ceci arrivati dalla Spagna Los niños del orfanato con los garbanzos que llegaron de España. |
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| Bandoufou |
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| Qui sorgera la nuova scuola di Bandoufou Ici on batira la nouvelle école de Bandoufou Aquí se construirá la nueva escuela de Bandoufou. |
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| Lanome |
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| Maliko |
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