Saurimo, ANGOLA — Pope Leo XIV arrived in Saurimo on Monday, April 20, 2026, shifting the focus of his African tour to the historically marginalized and resource-heavy Lunda Sul province.
The Pontiff flew 800 kilometers east of the capital, Luanda, to the heart of Angola’s diamond mining region.
Okay News reports that the Pope held an open-air morning Mass for approximately 30,000 people, where he reiterated his pointed warnings against the “logic of exploitation” that leaves mineral-rich areas mired in poverty and environmental damage.
Saurimo is located near the Catoca mine, which accounts for roughly 75 percent of Angola’s diamond extraction. Despite this wealth, a third of the nation’s population lives below the poverty line. During his visit, the Pope scheduled a stop at a home for the elderly to highlight the Catholic Church’s commitment to supporting those underserved by the province’s fragile infrastructure.
This visit marks the eighth day of the Pope’s 11-day journey across the continent. On Sunday, Leo XIV addressed a crowd of 100,000 in Luanda, calling for a “new culture of justice” to heal the scourge of corruption and the lingering scars of the nation’s 27-year civil war. He is expected to meet with local clergy later today to discuss the growing influence of evangelical movements and the church’s resource challenges in the region.
Pope Leo XIV is the third Pontiff to visit Angola, following John Paul II in 1992 and Benedict XVI in 2009. His 18,000-kilometer tour, which has already covered Algeria and Cameroon, is scheduled to conclude in Equatorial Guinea between April 21 and 23.
