Pope Leo XIV has taken a strong stand against the “tyrants” wreaking havoc across the globe during a highly secured visit to the conflict-ridden region of Cameroon. This visit marks another chapter in his ongoing verbal clash with U.S. President Donald Trump.

In recent exchanges, Trump has expressed displeasure with the pope’s outspoken criticism of the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. On Thursday, Trump remarked to journalists that while the pope is free to voice his opinions on international matters, he should be aware of the harsh realities of what he described as a “nasty world.”

These remarks followed a powerful address by Pope Leo in northwestern Cameroon, part of a historic four-nation tour in Africa. The pontiff has shed his usual restraint, passionately advocating for global peace. His speech in Bamenda, the heart of a nearly ten-year English-speaking separatist conflict that has claimed thousands of lives, was particularly poignant.

In Bamenda, Pope Leo declared, “Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.” He delivered these words at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral, underscoring his message of peace and unity.

He further emphasized, “The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters.” His visit and words resonate deeply, particularly in a region yearning for peace and stability.

“The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters,” the pontiff said at Bamenda’s Saint Joseph’s Cathedral.

Speaking later, Trump struck a more conciliatory tone than in recent days, but still sought to school the pope on the war in Iran.

“The pope has to understand Iran has killed more than 42,000 people over the last few months,” he said.

“They were totally unarmed protesters. The pope has to understand that. This is the real world, it’s a nasty world.”

He denied he was “fighting” with the pontiff, saying he had “nothing against” him.

‘Plunder’ of Africa

The barbs come after US Vice President JD Vance — a Catholic — urged the Vatican to “stick to matters of morality”.

But the mood was joyous as the pope arrived in Bamenda under a military escort in a popemobile with bulletproof windows, blessing the worshippers who had gathered, many singing and blowing vuvuzela horns, to welcome him.

As he left the cathedral, Leo released white doves, a symbol of peace in a region of the central African country he called a “bloodstained yet fertile land that has been mistreated”.

At Bamenda airport — renovated for his visit after being shut since 2019 because of the insurgency —Leo condemned the ongoing exploitation of Africa in a mass.

He criticised “those who, in the name of profit, continue to lay their hands on the African continent to exploit and plunder it”.

Cameroon is rich in natural resources such as oil, timber, cocoa, coffee and minerals, which have attracted both foreign firms and local elites for decades.

On arrival in the country on Wednesday, the pope appealed to Cameroon’s leaders to examine their “conscience” and tackle corruption and rights abuses, in an uncharacteristically pointed speech at the presidential palace attended by longtime President Paul Biya.

Leo’s trip comes six months after the authorities violently put down protests against 93-year-old Biya’s disputed re-election for an eighth term.

Bolstered security

Security measures had been stepped up on the main routes through Bamenda for the visit.

Cameroon’s two anglophone regions have suffered almost a decade of armed violence following attempts to secede from the rest of the mostly French-speaking central African country.

Teacher Vivian Ndey, 60, from Bamenda, welcomed the pope carrying a “plant of peace” as a symbol of hope.

She spoke at the cathedral of the difficulty of teaching during the crisis, saying teachers were afraid to come to class and students had vanished.

Conflict erupted after Biya, who has ruled since 1982, violently repressed peaceful demonstrations in 2016 by English speakers who felt marginalised.

Civilians have been targeted with killings and kidnappings. At least 6,000 people have been killed since 2016, according to the United Nations.

On Monday, separatist groups announced a three-day truce to welcome the pope.

After the Bamenda trip, Leo is to hold a mass at a stadium in the economic capital Douala on Friday, before leaving Cameroon for Angola on Saturday. He then travels to Equatorial Guinea.

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