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MALABO, Equatorial Guinea — Pope Leo XIV celebrated the final Mass of his Africa trip on Thursday, urging the Church in Equatorial Guinea to continue proclaiming the Gospel "with passion" and to bear witness through lives shaped by faith, service, and solidarity.

The Mass at Malabo's stadium, where about 30,000 faithful were expected, marked the pope's last major public event in Equatorial Guinea, the fourth and final African nation on his 11-day journey.

After riding through the crowd in the popemobile, Leo began Mass amid flags, songs, and colorful hats, with music and dance accompanying the liturgy.

Before delivering his homily, the pope greeted the Archdiocese of Malabo and offered condolences for the recent death of its vicar general, Father Fortunato Nsue Esono, who died unexpectedly April 17 at age 39.

"We remember him in this Eucharist," Leo said. "I invite you to live this moment of sorrow with a spirit of faith, and I trust that full light will be shed on the circumstances of his death."

In his homily, preached in Spanish, the pope reflected on the day's Scripture readings, especially the account in the Acts of the Apostles of the deacon Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch.

"When the deacon Philip approached a traveler who was returning from Jerusalem to Africa, he asked, 'Do you understand what you are reading?'" the pope said. "The pilgrim, a eunuch of the Queen of Ethiopia, replied immediately with humble wisdom: 'How can I, unless someone guides me?' His question is not only a search for truth, but also an expression of openness and desire."

Leo said the figure of the eunuch reveals both human suffering and the liberating power of the Gospel.

"Yet, as he returns to his homeland of Africa, which for him has become a place of servitude, the proclamation of the Gospel sets him free," the pope said. "Through his encounter with Philip, a witness of the crucified and risen Christ, the eunuch is transformed from a mere reader — a spectator — of Scripture into a protagonist in the very story that captivates him, because it now concerns him personally."

"This African man thus enters into Scripture, which welcomes every reader who seeks to understand God's word," Leo continued. "He steps into salvation history, which embraces every man and woman, especially the oppressed, the marginalized and the least among us."

The pope said Christians today, like the Ethiopian eunuch, read Scripture not in isolation but within the life of the Church.

"Together we read Scripture as the shared heritage of the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, who inspired its composition, and by Apostolic Tradition, which has preserved and transmitted it throughout the world," he said. "Like the eunuch, we too can come to understand the Word of God with the help of a guide who accompanies us on our journey of faith."

Turning to the Gospel of John and Jesus' teaching on the bread of life, Leo said Christ fulfills God's saving work in history and leads every people out of slavery.

"Through Jesus' Passover, the definitive exodus, every people is set free from the slavery of evil," he said.

The pope also stressed that Christian faith does not erase suffering but illuminates it with hope.

"Our problems do not disappear in the Lord's presence, but they are illuminated," he said. "Just as every cross finds redemption in Jesus, so too the story of our lives finds its meaning in the Gospel."

Quoting Pope Francis' Evangelii Gaudium, Leo warned against spiritual self-absorption and called the faithful to keep making room for the poor, for God's voice, and for the quiet joy of his love. He said it is precisely the Lord's love that sustains Christians in the service of justice and solidarity.

He concluded by encouraging the local Church to continue its evangelical mission with joy.

"For this reason, I encourage all of you, as the living Church in Equatorial Guinea, to carry on the mission of Jesus' first disciples with joy," Leo said. "As you read the Gospel together, proclaim it with passion, just as the deacon Philip did. And as you celebrate the Eucharist together, bear witness through your lives to the faith that saves, so that God's word may become good leaven for all."

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.

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Toronto Cardinal Frank Leo has written to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and members of Parliament in the Toronto area, urging them to "choose life and not death" by supporting legislation that would block the planned expansion of assisted suicide for those with mental illness.

Bill C-218, the Right to Recover Act, introduced last year by Conservative member of Parliament Tamara Jansen, is a private member's bill that would prohibit the expansion of medical assistance in dying (MAID) to individuals whose sole underlying condition is mental illness.

Under current federal law, that expansion is scheduled to take effect March 17, 2027. Parliament was expected to debate the bill earlier this month, but its order of precedence in the House of Commons has been pushed back, and no new date has been set.

In the April 20 letters, Leo reminded the prime minister and parliamentarians that a society "is rightly judged" by how it cares for its most vulnerable members and said many Canadians are "increasingly troubled" by the expansion of MAID since it was legalized in 2016.

Since then, nearly 100,000 lives have been ended by medically assisted death as eligibility criteria have broadened beyond the original framework that restricted MAID largely to those facing a reasonably foreseeable death.

"Our Catholic faith opposes the taking of any life, and it is with great disappointment and anguish that we have seen our country expand MAID at a rapid and alarming rate," Leo wrote.

Assisted suicide and euthanasia, he said, are "contrary to the dignity of the human person."

Leo and the Archdiocese of Toronto are leading the nationwide Help Not Harm campaign, which is encouraging Canadians to write to their MPs in support of Bill C-218.

"We are encouraging parishes and the faithful to continue their efforts through the month of April and until a date for the vote is announced," Neil MacCarthy, director of public relations and communications for the archdiocese, told The Catholic Register earlier this month.

By mid-April, about 5,000 letters had been sent through the Help Not Harm online portal.

"There is growing anxiety that the normalization and expansion of assisted suicide risks undermining a culture of compassion, weakening investments in palliative support, and diminishing the collective commitment to accompany those suffering," Leo wrote.

He is also calling on Carney to allow Liberal MPs a free vote when C-218 comes before Parliament.

"This legislation raises profound questions of conscience that transcend partisan alignment and touch on deeply held moral, ethical, and spiritual convictions," Leo wrote. "I ask you to choose life and not death; to help build a civilization that cares for those suffering and does not eliminate them, but instead surrounds them with dignity, compassion, and love."

He also asked the prime minister and Justice Minister Sean Fraser to "consider measures that restrict any further expansion of assisted suicide in Canada and instead prioritize investments in palliative care, mental health support, and resources for those who are increasingly marginalized and isolated, especially seniors and Canadians living with disabilities."

This story was first published by Canada's The Catholic Register and is reprinted here with permission.

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As part of the commemoration of the centenary of the Cristero War in Mexico, the bishop of Zacatecas, Sigifredo Noriega Barceló, urged the faithful to deepen their knowledge of their Catholic faith in order to know how to defend it.

The Cristero War, also known as the "Cristiada," was an armed conflict that erupted in 1926 after President Plutarco Elías Calles tightened the enforcement of the anticlerical articles contained in the 1917 constitution.

This was done through the so-called Calles Law, which imposed severe restrictions on religious life. In response, on July 31, 1926, the Mexican bishops suspended public worship throughout the country. Subsequently, the federal government responded with an intensified persecution of Catholics.

According to the Mexican Bishops' Conference, there were "more than 200,000 martyrs who gave their lives defending their faith: children, young people, and the elderly; peasants, laborers, and professionals; priests, religious, and laypeople."

'Defend your faith by knowing it better'

During the 120th plenary assembly of the Mexican bishops, held from April 13–17, one of the topics addressed was the Cristero War.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Noriega explained that the Catholic Church is currently engaged in a "plan to recover the memory" of the war, with the aim of reflecting on "the significance" of the Cristiada "at that time, and the implications it holds for our own time."

The bishop recalled that many who died remained "faithful even to the point of risking their lives."

He lamented that, 100 years later, it appears that for many Catholics "the religious principles governing our lives are not as solid" and therefore emphasized the need to strengthen formation in the faith and in the events that forged the Church in the country.

In that context, he said the call that those who defended the Catholic religion at that time would make today is: "defend your faith by knowing it better."

He said Catholics should use this knowledge to reflect on how to prevent history from repeating itself so that "it will no longer be necessary to take up any kind of arms to defend religious freedom, to defend the principles and values ??that define us."

Finally, the bishop called for the recognition — with admiration — of those "individuals who gave their lives, who confronted these situations that were touching and upending the very depths not only of a belief but of life itself."

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Pope Leo XIV said Mass and visited with several communities including incarcerated prisoners during his first full day in Equatorial Guinea on April 22.

The itinerary represented the last full day the Holy Father will spend in Africa during the papal trip, which commenced on April 13 and has seen the pope visit Algiers, Cameroon, and Angola before finishing in the small coastal nation.

Here's a look at some of Pope Leo XIV's activities in Equatorial Guinea on April 22:

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The bishops of the dioceses of the Canary archipelago shared their concerns regarding immigration just weeks before Pope Leo XIV's trip to Spain, a journey that will conclude on the islands.

The situation on the Canary Islands, arising from pressure caused by immigration from Africa, was behind Pope Francis' desire to visit the islands; this wish will now be fulfilled by his successor, Pope Leo XIV, who will visit the islands June 11–12 as well as Madrid and Barcelona on June 6–10.

The bishop of Tenerife, Eloy Santiago, acknowledged that the fact that the archipelago serves as "Europe's southern frontier — the point of arrival for immigration coming from the African continent" — is a reality "that often overwhelms us."

"We lack the human and economic resources to address this dramatic reality. We feel powerless in the face of this deadly Atlantic route," Santiago explained during a meeting with the press.

Since the arrival of the first boat carrying two immigrants from Africa in 1994 and over the course of more than three decades, thousands of people — generally young men — have reached the shores of the Canary Islands in search of a future. Thousands of others have drowned in the attempt.

The Holy Father's visit will signify "support and motivation" and will "draw attention to this sad drama," the bishop of the Diocese of Tenerife added.

The bishop of Canary Islands (which include the islands of Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and La Graciosa), José Mazuelos, also expressed his hope that "the Holy Father will shed light on the matter, to see if it is possible to put an end to the Atlantic route," although he also noted that the pope's presence in the islands is pastoral in nature and encompasses other aspects of the life of the Church.

"It's not as if the pope is coming to the Canary Islands to use the issue of migration as a stick to politically beat one side or the other," he emphasized.

Mazuelos also suggested that for many people "you'd have to put them on a 'cayuco' (a large, flat-bottomed wooden boat) spending five days in the Atlantic, day and night, without food so that they can see when [the migrants] get here what it is that we're doing," he said in reference to those who criticize the Catholic Church's work of welcoming migrants, protecting them, and integrating them into society.

Mazuelos noted that if the countries of origin receive development aid intended to help them eliminate the causes that lead so many to leave their homes, "we must hold them accountable, and we must crack down on the mafias."

Furthermore, he expressed support for "seeking ways for migrants to come to work through alternative channels." He cited as an example that during the second half of the 20th century, Spaniards legally emigrated to central European countries "with their proper work papers."

He mused about whether this same outcome could be achieved regarding African migration, though he acknowledged that this approach is "a bit idealistic."

Caya Suárez, secretary-general of Caritas for the Diocese of Canary Islands who was present at the meeting, said that "the pope's visit is not only a recognition of the welcome extended but also a call to prayer for the victims who have lost their lives on the Atlantic route," a figure she estimated is more than 19,000 people since 2020.

Awaiting details on Pope Leo XIV's visit

Regarding Leo XIV's visit to the Canary Islands, where so far the celebration of two large Masses has been confirmed, Mazuelos expressed his conviction that personal testimonies will be shared during at least one of the gatherings, as one of the Catholic Church's priorities is to "put a human face" on the reality of migrants.

The island of El Hierro, part of the Diocese of Tenerife, is one of the places in the archipelago where this reality has become most palpable. Just last year, 25,000 migrants arrived to a local population of 9,000 inhabitants.

The prelate, aware that "the people of El Hierro are eagerly anticipating" the possibility of a visit from the pope, realistically pointed out that given the timing and the necessary logistics, "while not impossible," it will be "difficult" for such a visit to take place.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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In light of a recent law legalizing assisted suicide in New York, Catholic bishops urged Catholics to make end-of-life decisions prayerfully and with guidance from the Church.

In a recently published updated end-of-life guidebook, the Catholic bishops of New York state outlined the Catholic Church's teaching on assisted suicide as well as what care is morally obligatory or morally optional.

The updated pamphlet, "Now and at the Hour of Our Death," is designed "to simply explain the moral principles of Catholic teaching with regard to end-of-life decision-making and to outline the options that exist in New York state for advance care planning," according to its introduction. The pamphlet also encourages Catholics to appoint proxies who are informed on their values to make medical decisions should they be unable to make them.

"Medical advances bring with them new and complex questions with regard to medical treatments and moral decision-making," the introduction to the guidebook reads.

The guidebook specifically addresses the moral problem of assisted suicide but also goes into detail about other important end-of-life decisions.

"Assisted suicide is the voluntary termination of one's own life using physician-prescribed chemicals or drugs that will cause death. It is considered active euthanasia," the guidebook reads. "Our Church warns us in no uncertain terms that this practice is objectively immoral and must be avoided, despite the false veil of compassion with which it is sold."

What types of medical interventions are morally required for Catholics?

Basic lifesaving medical interventions, such as feeding tubes, are generally considered morally obligatory by the Catholic Church, according to the bishops' guidebook.

The bishops distinguish between these morally required "ordinary" medical interventions and "extraordinary" or morally optional interventions. Determining which is which requires "the weighing of benefits and burdens expected for each individual."

"This is not just a pragmatic decision of costs and benefits but a moral decision that affects our spiritual health," the bishops say of end-of-life decisions.

The bishops note that "we must always accept (and others must provide) ordinary medical means of preserving life."

"Ordinary means are those that offer us a reasonable hope of benefit and would not entail excessive burden on us, our family, or the community," the bishops continue.

The pamphlet goes into the distinction between "ordinary" and "extraordinary" treatments and its connection to assisted suicide.

"The immorality of directly intending and bringing about our own death or of assisting in the death of another by intentional action is self-evident," the bishops state. "Decisions can become much more complex, however, when we contemplate the removal or withholding of medical treatment, such as a ventilator or dialysis."

"Withholding ordinary care with the intention of causing death is considered passive euthanasia and is always gravely contrary to God's will," the bishops continue. "But Catholics are not morally bound to prolong the dying process by using every medical treatment available. Allowing natural death to occur is not the same as killing."

But the bishops note that "extraordinary treatments" are "considered morally optional."

"For example, it would be permissible for a cancer patient to forego a particularly aggressive and expensive treatment if the patient judged the survival rate too low and the pain of the treatment too great a burden," the bishops say.

The bishops emphasize that the distinction can be complex and encourage Catholics to seek guidance in these decisions.

"Weighing the burdens and benefits of particular medical treatments for each individual requires us to apply the virtue of prudence, using practical reason to discern the true good and choose the right path," the bishops say. "Because such decisions are often sensitive and complex, Catholics may wish to seek guidance from a priest, chaplain, or ethicist whose counsel is informed by Church teaching."

For instance, the bishops note that there is an obligation "in principle" to always provide patients with food and water, including when patients require medical assistance or have irreversible conditions. The bishops also note that this moral standard can have exceptions in extreme cases, such as "when death is imminent" or if the gastric tube causes severe side effects; even then, hydration and nutrition should be provided to the extent possible.

"It is never permissible to remove a feeding tube, or any other form of life-sustaining treatment, based on a belief that the patient's life no longer holds value or with the intention to terminate the patient's life," the bishops state.

How should Catholics make important medical decisions?

The bishops emphasize that the guide "is by no means a substitute for prayer."

"Determining if and when a particular treatment can morally be withheld or withdrawn should be done collaboratively with the patient or surrogate, family members, health care providers, and spiritual adviser," the bishops say.

The bishops encourage Catholics to plan in advance and ensure that surrogate decision-makers, a legal standard in New York, will honor "your values and beliefs."

The bishops recommend the health care proxy as "the most morally appropriate advance care planning tool in New York state." The New York State Catholic Conference referred New York Catholics to fill out a government form that enables citizens to appoint a trusted loved one to make health care decisions and also to include instructions for their proxy.

Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, noted that the original issue of the guidebook has been a useful tool "for more than 15 years."

"Our hope is that many thousands more Catholics in the years to come will find 'Now and at the Hour of Our Death' to be a useful guide in what is by nature a very stressful time," Poust said. "We urge Catholics to read the booklet and familiarize themselves with Catholic teaching on these issues and the options available in New York now, before they or their loved ones are facing a health crisis."

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Pope Leo XIV has appointed Daniel J. Miehm as the new bishop of the Diocese of London, Ontario, Canada. Until now, the prelate served as the bishop of Peterborough, Ontario.

The prelate succeeds Bishop Peter Fabbro in leading the Diocese of London. Fabbro's resignation was accepted upon reaching the age of 75, the mandatory retirement age for bishops.

After expressing his gratitude for the trust placed in him by the Holy Father for the new role, Miehm stated: "In this Easter season, as the Church celebrates the resurrection of Christ, we are invited to deep faith, trust in God, and hope in the promise of new life. It is in such a spirit that I embrace this new chapter in my continued service to the Church."

"I ask your prayers for me, for all those I have served in Peterborough and for those whom I will meet and serve in my episcopal ministry in the Diocese of London," the prelate added in a statement from the Diocese of London.

Fabbro, who served at the helm of the London Diocese for 24 years, said that Miehm "is a strong, compassionate leader with outstanding pastoral instincts and the wisdom to guide our diocese into the future. Under his episcopal leadership, the Diocese of London will be in very capable hands."

Miehm will be installed as the new bishop of London on June 29, the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, at St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica in London.

Who is the new bishop of London?

Miehm was born on Aug. 27, 1960, in Kitchener, Ontario. He studied philosophy at St. Jerome's University in Waterloo, Ontario, and theology at St. Augustine's Seminary in Toronto. He earned a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome, according to the Vatican Press Office.

He was ordained a priest on May 6, 1989, for the Diocese of Hamilton, Ontario.

He has held the following positions, among others: vicar of the Cathedral of Christ the King; defender of the bond at the ecclesiastical tribunal of Hamilton; pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Hamilton (1998–2004) and of St. Ann in Ancaster (2004–2012); and pastor of St. Benedict in Milton, as well as spiritual assistant to the St. Thomas More Lawyers' Guild (2012).

He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Hamilton on Feb. 20, 2013, receiving episcopal consecration on May 7 of that year. On March 10, 2017, he was appointed bishop of Peterborough, where he served until now.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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BATA, Equatorial Guinea — Pope Leo XIV visited a prison Tuesday afternoon, telling inmates that "no one is excluded from God's love" and urging them to see that even behind bars, there remains the possibility of change, reconciliation, and hope.

The pope arrived in the coastal city of Bata after celebrating Mass earlier in the day in Mongomo.

Before going to the local prison — one of the country's harshest and long known for difficult detention conditions — Leo stopped at the Cathedral of St. James and Our Lady of Pillar for a brief moment of prayer and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

At the prison, Leo XIV was welcomed by Justice Minister Reginaldo Biyogo Mba Ndong Anguesomo, the prison director, and the chaplain, Father Pergentino Esono Mba, 58, who has worked at the Bata penitentiary for 24 years.

One of the more than 600 inmates thanked the pope for his visit and support.

"We wish to thank you for your visit and your support," the prisoner said. "Your presence reminds us of the importance of faith and redemption. We ask for your blessing to keep moving forward and to come out of this as better people. We are grateful for your compassion and for your message of hope."

The chaplain, meanwhile, thanked the pope "for his message of mercy and forgiveness."

"Your example inspires us to believe in the possibility of change and to trust that, even in darkness, God always opens a door of light and hope," he said.

Pope Leo began by thanking the inmates for their witness.

"I have listened carefully to your words. Thank you for your sincerity and for showing us that human dignity and hope are never lost, even in the midst of difficulties," he said.

"Today, I am here to tell you something simple: no one is excluded from God's love! Each of us, with our unique stories, mistakes, and sufferings, remains precious in the Lord's eyes."

He also stressed that justice must be aimed not only at punishment but also at rebuilding lives.

"True justice seeks not so much to punish as to help rebuild the lives of victims, offenders, and communities wounded by evil. There is no justice without reconciliation."

Hope and change were the central themes of the pope's address.

"If any of you fear being abandoned by everyone, know that God will never abandon you and that the Church will stand by your side. Every effort toward reconciliation and every act of kindness can spark hope in others."

He added: "God never grows tired of forgiving."

After leaving the prison, the pope, under a torrential downpour, stopped briefly to pray at the memorial honoring the victims of a March 7, 2021, explosion.

That day, a series of four explosions struck a military barracks in the Nkoantoma neighborhood, a district of Bata. At least 107 people were killed and more than 600 were injured, with extensive damage reported across the city.

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.

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The U.S. Department of Justice has charged the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a civil rights group that has classified certain Catholic organizations as hate groups, with multiple fraud charges for alleged use of paid informants to monitor racist organizations.

SPLC, an organization that reports it fights "white supremacy and various forms of injustice," faces charges including 11 counts of wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. SPLC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While there has been overlap with Catholic advocacy over the years on social and economic justice issues such as racial justice and advocacy concerning conditions in immigration detention centers, the SPLC has also taken positions that many Catholic institutions strongly dispute. SPLC has labeled some Catholic organizations as "hate groups."

The U.S. attorney for the middle district of Alabama issued the April 21 indictment. The FBI and the Internal Revenue Service investigated.

"The SPLC allegedly engaged in a massive fraud operation to deceive their donors, enrich themselves, and hide their deceptive operations from the public," Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel said.

While "vowing to dismantle violent extremist groups," SPLC "actually turned around and paid the leaders of these very extremist groups," Patel said.

According to the indictment, in the 1980s the SPLC began operating a network of individuals who were associated with, or who infiltrated, violent extremist groups at the SPLC's direction. Donors were unaware that donations were funding the organizers of the same racist and extremist groups that the SPLC reported it was denouncing.

Prosecutors said that between 2014 and 2023, the SPLC funneled more than $3 million in donated funds to individuals associated with various extremist groups including the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, National Socialist Party of America (American Nazi Party), and United Klans of America. No Catholic groups were mentioned in the indictment.

According to the indictment, the scheme was intended to obtain money via donations through materially false representations and omissions about what the funds would be used for.

In order to pay the individuals, the SPLC allegedly opened bank accounts connected to a series of fake entities such as "Fox Photography" and "Rare Books Warehouse" that were used to send money from donors to informants. The SPLC then made a series of false statements related to the operation of the accounts, the indictment alleges.

"The SPLC is manufacturing racism to justify its existence," said acting Attorney General Todd Blanche when announcing the indictment. "Using donor money to allegedly profit off Klansmen cannot go unchecked."

U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson said this "kind of deception undermines public trust and social cohesion."

Patel added that it is an "ongoing investigation against all individuals involved." The DOJ reported a conviction will result in the forfeiture of financial gains from the alleged illegal activities.

Labeling Catholics and Christian groups

In recent years, SPLC has been accused of unfairly labeling Christian organizations as "radical."

In July 2025, the House Judiciary Committee found documents that revealed the FBI "put more federal law-enforcement resources into surveilling Catholics than previously known."

The committee's report found that several internal FBI documents used the terms "radical traditionalist catholic" or "Radical-Traditionalist Catholic" between 2009 and 2023. An FBI internal database contained at least 13 documents that used these terms that all cited the SPLC.

Also, in 2021, critics of SPLC said the organization had become extreme after it released its 2020 "census of hate groups," which included numerous pro-life and family organizations.

Along with the Ruth Institute, Christian organizations Alliance Defending Freedom, a legal advocacy organization defending religious liberty, and Family Research Council, a nonprofit promoting family values, were also both designated as "Anti-LGBTQ hate groups" by SPLC for their stances on marriage and family.

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BATA, Equatorial Guinea — Pope Leo XIV met with young people and families on Wednesday evening in an event marked by singing, dancing, and a stadium full of jubilant Catholics waving Vatican and Equatorial Guinean flags.

Even under relentless rain, the atmosphere remained festive, with chants, songs to the Virgin Mary, and crowds greeting the pontiff as he rode around the field in the popemobile.

Before the pope spoke, Bishop Miguel Ángel Nguema Bee, apostolic administrator and head of youth ministry for the Equatorial Guinea bishops' conference, welcomed him to the country and to the Diocese of Bata. He described Equatorial Guinea as "a young country, full of energy, questions, and a thirst for life" while acknowledging its challenges and affirming that "Christ is our light."

Local songs and dances followed, along with the presentation of gifts to the pope, including a fishing net, a statue of the Virgin Mary, a model boat, and a staff — objects reflecting the country's daily life and cultural traditions.

Several young people and families then gave testimonies.

A young worker, Alicia Ikimo Ipo, spoke about the meaning of being Christian in daily life and about bringing Christ into ordinary work and human relationships.

A young married couple, Purificación Nntongono Nguema and Jaime Antonio Ndong, shared their hope for an Equatorial Guinea marked by united and reconciled families, open to dialogue and forgiveness, and rooted in marriage as taught by the Church.

Seminarian Francisco Martín Nze Obiang spoke of overcoming fear in responding to God's call, saying he had discovered that when Christ calls, he does not take anything away but gives everything.

The most moving testimony came from 13-year-old Arnoldo Abeso Ondo, who spoke about growing up with only his mother and about the importance for young people of respecting themselves, caring for themselves, and living responsibly.

The pope then turned to the testimonies he had heard.

Speaking about Alicia, he said: "In this regard, Alicia spoke to us about the importance of being faithful to one's duties and of contributing to the good of the family and society through daily work." He added that her words invite reflection "on the importance of productive, committed effort and on the need always to uphold the dignity of every human being."

Turning to Francisco Martín's witness, Leo said the seminarian "has given us a glimpse into the beautiful reality of so many young people who give themselves totally to God for the salvation of their brothers and sisters."

Encouraging vocations, the pope said: "So, if you feel that Christ is calling you to follow him in a path of special consecration — as priests, religious sisters, or religious brothers — do not be afraid to follow in his footsteps. As he himself promised, I too wish to assure you today that you will receive 'a hundredfold and … eternal life' (Mt 19:29)."

Addressing family life and marriage, Leo said: "Many of you will prepare to receive the sacrament of holy matrimony. Being spouses and parents is an exciting mission — a covenant to be lived day by day. Within this covenant, you will continually rediscover one another as you cooperate with God in the miracle of life and in building happiness for yourselves and for your children."

He urged couples to embrace marriage "as a journey of true love that grows in freedom; as a journey of hope, born from the knowledge that God will never abandon you; and as journey of holiness, in which you always seek the good and happiness of others."

The pope also thanked Victor Antonio — the name given in the official text to the young witness whose testimony centered on the need to protect life and care for the vulnerable — saying: "I warmly thank Victor Antonio for sharing his story with such sincerity and courage."

Leo added: "His testimony may unsettle us, but it does not discourage us. Rather, it invites us to build a better world — one founded on respect for burgeoning life and on a sense of responsibility toward the most vulnerable among us."

He continued: "Victor Antonio has reminded us that welcoming life requires love, commitment, and care. These words, spoken by a young person, should lead us to reflect seriously on the importance of protecting and safeguarding the family and the values learned within it."

Summing up his message as an appeal to Christian love, Leo said: "Let us be inspired by the beauty of love; let us become witnesses to the love that Jesus has given us and taught us! Let us show every day that it is beautiful to love — that the greatest joys, in every situation, come from knowing how to give and from giving of ourselves, especially when we reach out to those most in need."

He concluded by linking charity lived in the home to the transformation of society itself: "The light of charity, nurtured in our homes and lived out in faith, can truly transform the world — even its structures and institutions — so that every person is respected and no one is forgotten."

"Let us together make this a firm resolution, a joyful commitment," he said, "so that the crucified and risen Christ — the light of Equatorial Guinea, of Africa, and of the whole world — may guide us all toward a future filled with hope."

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.

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