Addressing journalists, Pope Leo recalls Pope Francis, says no date set to name new cardinals

April 21, 2026

As he spoke to journalists on his flight from Angola to Equatorial Guinea today, Pope Leo paid tribute to Pope Francis on the anniversary of his passing and addressed a question about new cardinals.

“We thank the Lord for the great gift of the life of Francis, to the Church and the world,” Pope Leo said. “So many times what he did was live truly being close to the poorest, the smallest, the sick, children, the elderly.”

Addressing questions from Angolan journalists, the Pope spoke about Church-state collaboration in education and healthcare and said that it was a “joy” to see “the places in the world where the Church is growing.”

The Pope added that “there are other places in the world where the opposite happens, so here there is a call for evangelization, to continue proclaiming the Gospel and to try to invite others, not through proselytism, as Pope Francis has said many times”—but through “beauty, the attraction of faith, and the joy of the believers, which is one of the best announcements of the faith, of the Gospel.”

Asked whether an Angolan prelate might be named a cardinal, Pope Leo said:

It has not yet been decided when new cardinals will be created. We need to look at this matter on a global level... We hope that, for Africa and perhaps for Angola, in the not-so-distant future, we may be able to consider the nomination of new cardinals, including one for Angola.

 

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Further information:

• Pope Leo pays tribute to Pope Francis on the anniversary of his death (AP, 4/21/26)
• Pope: Church in Angola is growing and can help promote universal rights (Vatican News, 4/21/26)