Pope Visits Slave Trade Shrine, Calls for Justice in Angola

A powerful moment of reconciliation unfolded in Angola as Pope Leo XIV visited Muxima, a Catholic shrine that stands as a painful reminder of the transatlantic slave trade that claimed over 5 million African lives.

The pontiff prayed the rosary at the Mamã Muxima church, Southern Africa's largest Catholic pilgrimage center, where worshippers reported seeing the Virgin Mary nearly 200 years ago. His visit carried special significance given his own ancestry includes both enslaved people and slave owners.

Earlier, over 100,000 people gathered for Mass in Kilamba, where Pope Leo XIV spoke directly about the challenges facing modern Angola. "We can and want to build a country where old divisions are overcome for good, where hatred and violence disappear, where the wound of corruption is healed by a new culture of justice and sharing," he told the crowd in Portuguese.

The message resonated in a nation still recovering from its complex history. After gaining independence from Portugal in 1975, Angola endured a brutal 27-year civil war that left deep scars.

Today, Angola ranks as Africa's fourth-largest oil producer and holds massive diamond and mineral wealth. Yet more than 30% of Angolans still live on less than €1.83 per day, according to 2023 World Bank estimates.

Meeting with President João Lourenço, the Pope didn't shy away from difficult truths. "Your people possess treasures that can neither be bought nor stolen," he said, warning against those who "continue to look to your lands in order to take."

The president acknowledged the challenges ahead, calling improvements to people's lives "a complex and difficult challenge" while committing his government to continue anti-corruption efforts.

The Ripple Effect

The Pope's words are already inspiring conversations about healing and reconciliation across Angola. By acknowledging both the wounds of the slave trade and modern exploitation, he's helping a nation confront its past while building toward a more equitable future.

Current efforts to recover billions allegedly stolen during previous administrations show that change is possible when leaders commit to transparency. The Pope's visit reinforces that Angola's greatest treasures aren't underground but in its resilient people.

His call for a "new culture of justice and sharing" offers a roadmap for transforming resource wealth into genuine prosperity for all Angolans.