Ruptly
"Thousands of Christian devotees gathered in Yaounde on Saturday for the final Mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV, as he concluded his four-day visit to Cameroon and departed for Angola, the next stop on his apostolic tour of Africa. Footage shows believers gathering behind fences at Military Base 101, waiting for the Pope's arrival before cheering as he reached the ceremony. Devotees also listened to his speech, dancing and holding banners in support of the head of the Roman Catholic Church. "Africa is the cradle of humanity, and the Pope did not come to Cameroon by chance. He came to bestow great grace upon us and to bless Cameroon," said a devotee. "Cameroon has had the privilege, over the past forty years, of hosting four papal visits. And today, we are simply delighted," shared another. Mass attendees also emphasised the importance of religion in Cameroonians' lives, drawing comparisons with the role of faith in Europe. "The faith in Africa is more advanced than in Europe because Africans really believe in Christ. They believe that Christ came to die for them, that Christ came to save them, that Christ came to release them from suffering. So that is the reason why they are, they are believers," pointed out a devotee. "So many young people are turning to God, because really we have no one else; who else but Him? It is only He who can truly guide our youth if they are feeling lost," added another. The mass marked both the final event of Pope Leo's four-day visit to Cameroon and the conclusion of the second leg of his four-country African tour, which runs from 13 to 23 April and began in Algeria. During his visit, the Pope travelled to conflict-affected regions and urged an end to violence, using his visit to encourage dialogue and call on leaders to examine their 'conscience' and serve their people responsibly. Cameroon has been grappling with a separatist conflict in its English-speaking regions since 2017, a crisis that has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands."
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