Pope Leo XIV arrived in Yaounde, Cameroon, and used his first address to President Paul Biya and government authorities to press for political legitimacy backed by anti-corruption and peace themes. In the speech, delivered at the presidential palace, the pope directly linked how leaders wield authority with whether citizens can trust the state, saying corruption “disfigure[s] authority and strip[s] it of its credibility.”
Leo also set out a message of governance centered on public finance transparency and on expanding who participates in national decision-making. He told Biya that Cameroon needed to take “a bold leap forward” to impose transparency in public finances and to integrate civil society organizations into daily public life, while adding that young people—especially women—had a vital role to play in shaping a “new dawn.”
The Vatican had said fighting corruption in Cameroon would be one of the themes of the visit, and it also made clear that Catholic social teaching disapproves of the types of authoritarian leaders Leo was encountering on his four-nation Africa trip. As Leo read his remarks in French, Biya, who is 93, sat passively during the address, according to the account of the event. Cameroonian television halted its live feed for parts of the pope’s speech, though it was not clear whether the interruptions were due to technical issues.
The remarks land in a politically fraught period for Cameroon. Biya has led the country since 1982 and, after a contested election, secured another victory last year that gave him an eighth term. Cameroon’s opposition has contested the Oct. 12 election result; Issa Tchiroma Bakary said he won and called on Cameroonians to reject the official result. The pope’s visit also overlaps with Biya’s recent changes to the government structure: the week before Leo’s arrival, Biya signed into law a bill that reintroduces the vice president position, an action the opposition said would further strengthen his grip on power.
Leo’s speech also drew on religious guidance about rulers’ obligations. The pope, whose canon law dissertation focused on Augustinian religious superiors’ wielding of authority, cited St. Augustine and quoted: “Those who rule serve those whom they seem to command; for they rule not from a love of power, but from a sense of the duty they owe to others.” He added: “From this perspective, serving one’s country means dedicating oneself, with a clear mind and an upright conscience, to the common good of all people in the nation.”
As the pope moved through the early stages of his Cameroon itinerary, supporters welcomed him with street celebrations in Yaounde. Cheering crowds lined the road from the airport, with people dancing and waving palm fronds as the motorcade traveled into the capital. Multiple women dressed in matching bright dresses stood behind banners naming their parishes, and billboards showed posters of the pope and Biya under the banner “Land of Hope.”
In separate remarks to The Associated Press, Gerald Mambeh, a Catholic teacher in Yaounde, said the visit needed to spark genuine dialogue and accountability to achieve lasting peace. He described the moment as “light entering a dark room … but peace will not come from symbolism alone,” adding that “in a country where many feel abandoned,” the pope’s presence signaled that “God has not forgotten us.” Mambeh said the point should be heard “beyond the politics,” saying Cameroonians were “not asking for miracles” but for “fairness, dignity, and a future.”
The pope also returned to questions of how national wealth is managed, citing Cameroon’s extractive industries and the social conflict that can follow when resources do not reach the people living near mining and drilling operations. He said the status quo could not remain and called for “Transparency in the management of public resources and respect for the rule of law” as essential to restoring trust. He said it was “time to examine our conscience and take a bold leap forward,” and he told Biya that trust is undermined when corruption prevents the benefits of extraction from reaching rural communities and when a small elite captures most profits.
Leo’s anti-corruption message appeared to resonate with some officials as well. Angelica Ambe Mundi, a public official, told the AP she was touched by the pope’s message and described linking it to how violence can emerge when people feel marginalized. After the pope finished, she stepped forward and gently touched his chair before pressing her hand to her chest and kneeling in reverence, according to the account. She said in an interview, “He spoke about the even distribution of state resources… violence comes when people feel disgruntled, when they are marginalized,” and added: “People get violent when they are hungry. To stop violence, every Cameroonian must feel they belong — and share in the national cake.”
Separately, Cameroon’s security landscape has shaped the timing of the pope’s program. English-speaking separatists launched a rebellion in 2017 with the stated goal of breaking away from Cameroon’s French-speaking majority and establishing an independent state. The conflict has killed more than 6,000 people and displaced over 600,000 others, according to the International Crisis Group. On the eve of Leo’s arrival, the English-speaking separatists announced a three-day pause in fighting to allow “safe travel” for his visit, and the Unity Alliance said the pause reflected the “profound spiritual importance” of the pope’s visit and was intended to allow civilians, pilgrims and dignitaries to travel safely.
Biya has said he has shunned dialogue with the English-speaking separatists, and as Leo’s visit began, he spoke of a world needing tolerance and hope as a replacement for “the voice of arms.” The pope’s visit is expected to culminate in a peace meeting on Thursday in Bamenda, Cameroon’s northwest city, which has been plagued by separatist violence.