Pope slams speculation with raw materials at end of African trip
21.04.2026, DPA
Photo: -/IPA via ZUMA Press/dpa
Pope Leo XIV expressed concern on Tuesday at conflict over the raw materials needed for new technologies as he visited Equatorial Guinea, the last stop on his Africa tour.
Leo said that rapid technological change was accelerating speculation with raw materials and that it was important that existing international agreements were observed.
Equatorial Guinea is the final stage of the pope's 11-day African trip. The oil-rich nation sandwiched between Cameroon and Gabon is ruled by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has held power since 1979, longer than any other head of state.
In his speech, the pope said that armed conflict is exacerbated by the quest for oil and other minerals, while international law and the right of Africa's people to determine their own lives are being disregarded.
Nature conservation and the rights of local communities were pushed into the background, he said.
God did not want this, Leo said. The pope warned against the misuse of technology for military purposes, emphasising that "the destiny of humanity risks being tragically compromised without a change of direction in the assumption of political responsibility."
Leo urged respect for international institutions and warned that God's name "must never be invoked to justify choices and actions of death."
The pontiff spoke of the exploitation of the continent by foreign powers and international companies during his earlier stops in Cameroon and Angola, too.
On arrival in Malabo, capital of the country until this year, tens of thousands of people waiting along the edge of the road greeted the head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.
Africa, home to some 290 million Catholics, is one of the regions of the world where Catholicism is growing.
Earlier, the pope paid tribute to his predecessor, Francis, who died a year ago, celebrating his commitment to the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in society.
On his flight from Angola to Equatorial Guinea, Leo said Francis had given "his witness, his words, and his gestures. He did so by truly living closeness to the poorest, to the least, to the sick, to children, and to the elderly."
Leo gave thanks for "the great gift of Francis’ life to the whole Church and to the whole world."
As pope, Francis headed the Catholic Church from 2013 until he died in 2025 at the age of 88.
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