Pope Leo XIV Ends Africa Tour With Rain-Soaked Malabo Mass

Pope Leo XIV wrapped up a history-making 11-day journey through Africa on Thursday with an open-air Mass at a stadium in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, closing out his first apostolic voyage to sub-Saharan Africa. A powerful pre-dawn rainstorm drenched the roughly 30,000 faithful who had gathered before daybreak, though the downpour eased just minutes before the pontiff arrived in a covered popemobile.

Four Nations, 18,000 Kilometres

The voyage took Leo through Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, covering approximately 18,000 kilometres and eight Masses in total. According to reporting from Vatican News, AP, AFP and Catholic World Report, the final liturgy began at 10:00am local time. It marked the second international trip of Leo's 2026 calendar and deliberately platformed one of the smallest Catholic populations in the Vatican's global outreach.

A Homily on Justice and Poverty

The pope's homily centred on the call to "work for justice" and "close the income gap," framing the Church's mission in explicitly economic terms. Leo urged the faithful to carry on, in his words, "the mission of Jesus' first disciples with joy." The anti-poverty message resonated in a country where oil wealth coexists with persistent inequality.

Remembering Fr. Nsue

Leo also referenced the death on 17 April of Father Fortunato Nsue Esono Ayiambeng, vicar general of Malabo. "May full light be shed on the circumstances of his death," the pope said. The reference resonated with the assembled faithful and gave the final Mass a solemn, local resonance beyond the broader tour narrative.

The trip cemented Leo's early emphasis on peripheries over traditional power centres and set expectations for further travel later in the year.