Pope Leo Leads Mass in Cameroon Urging Peace and Rejecting Violence

Pope Leo XIV led an open-air mass in Douala, Cameroon, on Friday, attended by approximately 120,000 people.

He called on Cameroonians to reject violence and abuse and to be generous to their neighbours amid ongoing hardships.

The mass took place at Japoma Stadium, marking the largest crowd gathered during the Pope's four-nation Africa tour.

Some believers had arrived the previous day and slept overnight on mats outside the stadium to hear the pontiff's address.

The event was held under heavy security, with streets near the stadium lined with crowds singing, dancing, and shielding themselves from the heat.

The Pope arrived in Douala by plane from the capital, Yaounde.

In his mostly French speech, with some English, Pope Leo acknowledged the material and spiritual poverty many Cameroonians face.

He urged the crowd to reject violence as a means to overcome difficulties, stating, "Do not give in to distrust and discouragement.

Reject every form of abuse or violence, which deceives by promising easy gains but hardens the heart and makes it insensitive." The mass is part of Pope Leo's 11-day Africa tour, which began in Algeria and will continue to Angola and Equatorial Guinea.

On Thursday, he visited Cameroon's Anglophone region, which has been affected by a decade-long rebellion.

Attendees of the mass included people of all ages and several members of the priesthood.

Many expressed hope for peace to return to the conflict-affected nation.

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