‘The first path is fidelity to Christ,’ Pope tells Angola’s priests and religious
April 20, 2026
Pope Leo XIV met with Angolan bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, and pastoral workers this evening (video) and told them that “the first path is fidelity to Christ.”
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The meeting took place at Our Lady of Fátima Parish in Luanda, the nation’s capital. The meeting followed a ninety-minute flight from Saurimo, where the Pontiff had visited a nursing home and celebrated Mass earlier in the day.
Pope Leo began by expressing his “gratitude to all those who have worked to spread and continue to spread the Gospel in Angola. Thank you for the work of evangelization carried out in this country, for the hope in Christ sown in the hearts of our brothers and sisters and for your charity to those most in need. Thank you also for your steadfast commitment to contribute to the progress of this nation on the solid foundations of reconciliation and peace.”
“Dear friends, the Lord knows the generosity with which you embrace your vocation, and he is not indifferent to all that you do, for love of him, to nourish your people with the truth of the Gospel,” the Pope continued. “It is therefore worth opening your hearts completely to Christ!”
Addressing young seminarians and religious in formation, the Pope said:
Do not be afraid to say “yes” to Christ, to model your lives entirely on his! Do not be afraid of tomorrow, for you belong completely to the Lord. It is worth following him in obedience, poverty and celibacy. He takes nothing away! The only thing he takes from us and takes upon himself is sin.
“Dear brothers and sisters, the Lord grants you the joy of being his missionary disciples, the strength to overcome the snares of the evil one and the hope of eternal life,” the Pope added. “All of this is yours, and it is all a gift ... What paths are being opened by the Lord for the Church in Angola? There will certainly be many! Try to follow them all! But the first path is fidelity to Christ.”
Pope Leo also encouraged clergy and religious to spend time in Eucharistic adoration and contemplation of the crucified Christ.
“Without this contemplative dimension, we no longer live in conformity with the Gospel, nor do we reflect the power of the Resurrection,” the Pope said.
After warning the clergy and religious against self-centeredness and the pursuit of privilege, the Pontiff concluded:
Continue to be a generous Church, cooperating in the integral development of your country. For this reason, everything you have accomplished in the fields of education and health care has been and remains crucial. In this sense, when difficulties arise, remember the heroic witness of faith given by Angolans—men and women, missionaries born here or coming from abroad—who had the courage to give their lives for this people and for the Gospel, preferring death to betraying the justice, truth, mercy, charity and peace of Christ.
Starting with every Eucharist, you too, dear friends, are the body offered and the blood shed for the life and salvation of your brothers and sisters. The Virgin Mary, Mamã Muxima [Mother of the Heart], is always at your side. May God bless you and make your commitment and mission fruitful!
CWN coverage of Pope Leo’s apostolic journey to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea:
Day 1 (April 13)
- Pope departs for Africa
- Pope Leo: ‘I have no fear of the Trump administration’
- I am ‘very happy’ to visit the land of St. Augustine, Pope says on flight to Algeria
- ‘The future belongs to men and women of peace,’ Pope says in first Algerian address
- Pope calls on Algeria’s leaders to promote ‘vibrant, dynamic, and free civil society’
- Pope visits Great Mosque of Algiers, recalls St. Augustine’s search for truth
- Pope emphasizes prayer, charity, unity in address to Algerian Catholics
Day 2 (April 14)
Day 3 (April 15)
- Pope bids farewell to Algeria, departs for Cameroon
- Pope, in remarks to journalists, highlights importance, relevance of St. Augustine
- Pope calls on Cameroon to embrace peace, break chains of corruption
- ‘Jesus cares especially for children like you,’ Pope tells orphans in Cameroon
Day 4 (April 16)
- Pope hails peacemaking efforts of Christian, Muslim leaders in Cameroon
- Now is the time to change this country, Pope preaches in Cameroon
- Pope meets with several Muslim leaders in Cameroon
Day 5 (April 17)
- ‘Bring the bread of life to your neighbors,’ Pope preaches in Cameroon’s largest city
- Societies flourish on the foundation of upright consciences that seek the truth, Pope tells university students
Day 6 (April 18)
- Draw near to the suffering and the poor, as Jesus did, Pope preaches at final Cameroon Mass
- Pope Leo departs from Cameroon, says his remarks there did not refer to President Trump
- Pope hails joy of Angola’s people, denounces extractivism
Day 7 (April 19)
- Pope, at Mass in Angola, warns faithful against syncretism, encourages them to ‘become like broken bread’
- Pope renews call for peace in Ukraine, Middle East
- May the Mother of the Heart make our hearts like hers, Pope says at Rosary in Angola
Day 8 (April 20)
- Pope flies to remote Angolan city, visits nursing home
- Reject superstition and follow Christ in freedom, Pope preaches at Mass in Angola
- ‘The first path is fidelity to Christ,’ Pope tells Angola’s priests and religious
Day 9 (April 21)
- Pope departs from Angola, heads to Equatorial Guinea
- Addressing journalists, Pope Leo recalls Pope Francis, says no date set to name new cardinals
- Serve the city of God and not love of self, Pope exhorts Equatorial Guinea’s leaders
- In Christ, the harmony between truth, reason, and freedom is manifest, Pope tells university community
- In Christian civilization, the sick are loved, Pope says at psychiatric hospital
Day 10 (April 22)
- Pope emphasizes the Eucharist and evangelization at Mass in Equatorial Guinea
- Pope tells prisoners: ‘No one is excluded from God’s love!’
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