ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Leo XIV arrived in Angola after a two-and-a-half-hour flight from Cameroon on April 18, using the short journey to reject suggestions that his recent remarks about war were aimed at U.S. President Donald Trump while reflecting on the pastoral focus of his African trip.
In a brief in-flight press conference with journalists, the pope addressed the interpretation of some of his recent speeches as a response to criticism from Trump, who had accused him of weakness in foreign policy.
"[T]here's been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when on the first day of the trip, the President of the United States made some comments about myself," the pope said.
"Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said."
He pointed in particular to his address at the April 16 prayer meeting for peace in Cameroon.
"Just one little example, the talk that I gave at the prayer meeting for peace a couple days ago was prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting," he said.
"And yet, as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not in my interest at all."
Leo XIV said he intends instead to continue proclaiming the Gospel and promoting peace.
"So we go on the journey, we continue proclaiming the Gospel message," he said.
He added that the liturgies during the trip have highlighted what it means to follow Christ, promote fraternity, and seek justice and peace.
The pope also said the broader African journey has been shaped by themes that emerged at the start of the trip in Algeria, especially the figure of St. Augustine.
"I was personally very pleased, as you know, we began the trip in Algeria with the theme of Saint Augustine, and yesterday at the Catholic University, we had the blessing of that beautiful monument that they had prepared with a map of Africa and Saint Augustine at the center," he said.
"And so in one sense, it expresses part of what this trip is about."
Leo XIV emphasized that his primary purpose in Africa is to accompany Catholics.
"And I primarily come to Africa as pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church, to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all of the Catholics throughout Africa."
He also referred to a meeting with imams in Cameroon, describing it in general terms as part of the Church's continuing commitment to interreligious dialogue, understanding, and peace-building.
He concluded his main remarks by thanking journalists for their work and expressing hope that God would continue to bless the journey.
Responding later to a French journalist, Leo XIV expressed gratitude for the reception he received in Cameroon.
"I would just like to thank everyone in Cameroon for the wonderful welcome, the great enthusiasm, the joy of the people," he said.
"It was absolutely fantastic, the experience ... how wonderful it is to experience what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to celebrate our faith together."
The pope's flight took him from Yaoundé to Luanda, crossing over Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola. Angola is the third and penultimate stop of his African journey.
The Catholic Church has longstanding ties with Angola. Formal relations date back centuries, including the 1608 appointment of Antonio Manuel Nyunda as the first ambassador to Rome from the then-Kingdom of Kongo.
More recently, in 2019, the Holy See and Angola signed an agreement recognizing the legal personality of the Catholic Church and defining its property rights.
This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
