Now is the time to change this country, Pope preaches in Cameroon
April 16, 2026
Pope Leo XIV issued a resounding call for change during an outdoor Mass this afternoon in Bamenda, Cameroon (video).
“Brothers and sisters, there are many situations in life that break our hearts and plunge us into sorrow,” Pope Leo preached. “Our hope for a future of peace and reconciliation, in which the dignity of every human person is respected and their fundamental rights guaranteed, is continually disappointed by the many problems afflicting this beautiful land.”
“These include the numerous forms of poverty, which even recently have affected so many people amidst an ongoing food crisis,” the Pope continued. “There is moral, social and political corruption, seen above all in the management of wealth, which hinders the development of institutions and infrastructure.”
Pope Leo then called for change in a nation afflicted by conflict and pervasive corruption:
All of this can make us feel powerless and diminish our confidence. Yet this is the moment to change, to transform the story of this country. The time has come, today and not tomorrow, now and not in the future, to restore the mosaic of unity by bringing together the diversity and riches of the country and the continent. In this way, it will be possible to create a society in which peace and reconciliation reign.
Citing a passage from the first reading at Mass (Acts 5:29-30), the Pope said that “the courage of the Apostles becomes a voice of conscience, a prophecy, a denunciation of evil, and this is the first step toward changing things. In fact, obeying God is not an act of submission that oppresses us or nullifies our freedom; on the contrary, obedience to God sets us free, because it means entrusting our lives to him and allowing his word to inspire our way of thinking and acting.”
“Those who obey God rather than human beings and earthly ways of thinking rediscover their inner freedom, succeed in discovering the value of goodness and do not resign themselves to evil,” the Pope added. “They find anew their way in life and become builders of peace and fraternity.”
The Pope concluded:
Only God sets us free; only his word opens paths to freedom; only his Spirit makes us new people capable of changing this country.
I accompany you with my constant prayer and I bless in particular the Church gathered here: the many priests, missionaries, religious and lay people who all work to be a source of consolation and hope. I encourage you to continue along this path and I entrust you to the intercession of Mary Most Holy, Queen of the Apostles and Mother of the Church.
Following the Mass, Pope Leo flew back this evening to Yaoundé, the nation’s capital.
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