Pope says world is being destroyed by a few tyrants during Bamenda visit

Pope Leo XIV has delivered a scathing condemnation of world leaders who weaponize religion and God for military, economic, and political gain, declaring that "the world is being destroyed by a few tyrants" during his visit to Bamenda in northwestern Cameroon on Thursday. The American pontiff made these remarks at St. Joseph's Cathedral during a peace gathering in a region devastated by a civil war that began in 2016 between Anglophone separatists and the Cameroonian government, a conflict that has claimed approximately 6,500 lives and displaced more than 500,000 people. Addressing the faithful who filled the cathedral, the Pope criticized "lords of war" for their hypocrisy, stating that "it takes an instant to destroy, but often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild." He highlighted the stark contradiction in global priorities, noting that "thousands of billions of dollars are needed to kill and devastate, while the necessary resources cannot be found to heal, educate, and rebuild." The pontiff also condemned those who exploit natural resources and reinvest their profits into weapons, warning of a "spiral of destabilization and death without end." According to United Nations data, 1.8 million of the 4 million inhabitants in the Anglophone regions require humanitarian aid, with 250,000 children affected by school closures due to the violence. Despite Cameroon's wealth in natural resources such as oil, gas, and minerals, 26.7 percent of the population lives in poverty, a reality the Pope called "a world turned upside down" and "a distortion of God's creation." He praised the interfaith peace movement created by Muslims and Christians in Bamenda, expressing gratitude particularly to women, both lay and religious, who care for trauma victims. Pope Leo XIV is currently on a tour of Africa, having visited Algeria and continuing to Angola and Equatorial Guinea. The visit comes amid ongoing tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has publicly called the Pope "weak against crime" and "terrible on foreign policy" for his peace advocacy, to which the pontiff responded that he is not afraid and will continue raising his voice for peace.