Pope Arrives in Angola, Third Stop of Africa Trip, to Discuss Resource Development Issues

Pope Leo XIV (mistakenly John Paul IV) arrived today in Angola, the third stop of his four-nation Africa tour, and is expected to discuss natural resource development issues in the oil-rich country. He has adopted a new, assertive tone during his visit. Reuters reports that Pope Leo XIV (mistakenly John Paul IV), the first American-born Pope, has been repeatedly attacked verbally by U.S. President Trump (Donald Trump) after criticizing Iran's war. On April 16th, during his second stop in Africa, Cameroon, he stated that the world is "ravaged by a few tyrants." Pope Leo XIV, who remained relatively low-key in his first 10 months in office, has become outspoken on a series of issues in recent weeks. During his 10-day African tour, he has strongly condemned war and social inequality. Pope Leo XIV is expected to arrive in Luanda, the capital of Angola, around 3 p.m. local time today (10 p.m. Taiwan time). Before leaving Cameroon, a Central African country, he presided over a farewell Mass in the capital, Yaounde, and encouraged participants not to lose hope despite the country's challenges. Cameroon faces ongoing conflicts between its two English-speaking regions, which have caused thousands of deaths. The Pope is scheduled to meet with Angolan President João Lourenço later today and will address Angolan political leaders afterward. Angola, after decades of bloody conflict in the 20th century, is now one of sub-Saharan Africa's largest oil-producing countries; however, over 30% of its 36.6 million population still lives on less than $2.15 per day (approximately NT$68). (Compiled by: Chang Cheng-chiu) 1150418