In a remarkable display of faith and anticipation, the Vatican forecasted that approximately 600,000 faithful would gather for a Mass officiated by Pope Leo XIV in Douala, Cameroon. This event is poised to be the largest congregation of his current 11-day journey across Africa.
As Pope Leo XIV embarked on the midpoint of his African sojourn on Friday, the day was dedicated to inspiring the youth of Cameroon. The pontiff’s itinerary included a significant Mass and a visit to the Catholic University of Central Africa in the nation’s capital, Yaoundé. It is part of his broader mission to engage with young people, urging them to confront and overcome the challenges of poverty and corruption, which are prevalent in many parts of the developing world.
Traveling to Douala, Cameroon’s principal port city, Pope Leo prepared to lead a Mass at a local hospital. The expected turnout reflects the profound impact of this visit, marking the first time an American pope has toured the African continent.
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In Cameroon, a nation with a youthful demographic where the median age is a mere 18 years, Catholics make up about 29% of the 29 million residents. The pope’s visit resonates deeply within this community, offering both spiritual guidance and encouragement for the future.
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Later in Yaoundé, Pope Leo’s schedule included a meaningful dialogue with the university’s students, faculty, and administrators. These interactions are pivotal, as they often serve to galvanize young minds towards resilience and hope in the face of adversity.
Later Friday in the capital Youande, Leo had an appointment with students, professors and administrators at the Catholic University of Central Africa. Popes have often used such encounters, especially in the developing world, to rally young people to persevere in the face of poverty, corruption and other challenges.
Catholics represent about 29% of Cameroon’s 29 million people. It is an overwhelmingly young country, where the median age is 18.
An attention to young people
Leo has already offered words of encouragement to Cameroon’s youth, including in his opening speech to President Paul Biya, at 93 the world’s oldest leader. In the speech, Leo demanded the “chains of corruption” in Cameroon be broken and said Cameroon’s youth represent the future and hope of the country.
But with Biya in power since 1982, Cameroon perhaps represents the most dramatic example of the tension between Africa’s youth and the continent’s many aging leaders.
Despite being an oil-producing country experiencing modest economic growth, young people say the benefits have not trickled down beyond the elites.
“Of course, when unemployment and social exclusion persist, frustration can lead to violence,” Leo warned in his opening address to Biya and government authorities earlier this week. “Investing in the education, training, and entrepreneurship of young people is, therefore, a strategic choice for peace. It is the only way to curb the outflow of wonderful talent to other parts of the world.”
According to World Bank data, the unemployment rate in Cameroon stands at 3.5%, but 57% of the labor force aged 18 to 35 works in informal employment.
The dire economic outlook in Cameroon has led to significant brain drain and has strained an already understaffed health sector, as many doctors and nurses are leaving the country for more lucrative jobs in Europe and North America.
In 2023, about a third of trained doctors who graduate from medical school in Cameroon leave the country, according to the Ministry of Higher Education.
Growing frustration over Biya’s record and long-term rule intensified during last October’s tense presidential election, in which Biya secured an eighth consecutive term.
When Cameroon’s main opposition candidate, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, contested the result of the poll, deadly protests erupted throughout the country.
Mark Banchereau contributed from Dakar, Senegal.
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