SAURIMO, Angola — Visiting the central African state of Angola, Pope Leo XIV issued a challenge to the world, urging to end all conflict and instead focus on caring for the weakest through charity, forgiveness and prayer.
The erican pontiff visited the elderly at a care home in the Angolan city of Saurimo, where at a moment of emphaty, he enthused that the quality of a nation is seen in how it cares for the needy.
The pope flew to Angola's northeastern city to begin the third day of his Apostolic Journey to Angola and after his arrival at the airport, traveled to the elderly care facility known by residents as 'Lar', which means 'home', and run by the Angola government.
Speaking to the facility's 62 elderly residents, 26 of whom are men and 36 women, Pope Leo expressed his joy for their “faith-filled welcome” and shared his hopes that they may truly live in a family atmosphere worthy of the care home’s informal name.
He recalled to them that Jesus loved to visit the home of His friends, spending time with Peter’s mother-in-law and often visiting the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus in Capernaum.
“In this care home, too, Jesus dwells with its elderly residents, especially when they forgive one another and seek reconciliation after a small offense,” Leo noted.
“He dwells among you whenever you try to love one another and help one another as brothers and sisters. When all of you, or even some of you, pray together with simplicity and humility, He is here among you,” he added.
The 70-year-old leader if the Catholic Church thanked the Angolan authorities for supporting initiatives such as the Lar care home: “The care of the weakest is a very important sign of the quality of the social life of a nation. Let us not forget that the elderly are not only in need of assistance, but first and foremost need to be listened to, because they preserve the wisdom of a people.”
Pope Leo concluded his brief address by praying for the elderly residents and entrusting them to the care of the Blessed Virgin Mary.