THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
Pope Leo XIV was officially inaugurated on Sunday in a solemn Mass at St. Peter’s Square, attended by over 200,000 people, including dignitaries from across the globe. As he begins his pontificate, Pope Leo—born Cardinal Robert Prevost—called for global peace and solidarity with war-affected communities, particularly in Gaza, Myanmar and Ukraine.
“In the joy of faith and communion, we cannot forget our brothers and sisters who are suffering because of war,” he said during the Regina Caeli prayer following the Mass. He lamented the suffering of civilians, especially children and the elderly, in conflict zones, naming Gaza, Myanmar and Ukraine.
Pope Leo XIV, of Creole heritage with ancestral roots in New Orleans and Haiti, invoked the intercession of the Virgin Mary—under the titles “Star of the Sea” and “Our Lady of Good Counsel”—as he entrusted his ministry to her. “We implore her intercession for the gift of peace… and for the grace for all of us to be witnesses to the Risen Lord,” he said, also recalling the spiritual presence of Pope Francis “accompanying us from heaven.”
His election has stirred hope and cautious optimism across Africa, home to the fastest-growing Catholic population. Though many African Catholics had hoped for a pontiff from sub-Saharan Africa, they have embraced Pope Leo’s message of inclusivity and global solidarity.
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, himself considered a strong papal contender, welcomed Pope Leo as “a bridge-builder with deep compassion for the poor,” and called for greater African representation in Vatican leadership. Nigerian Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama expressed hope that the new Pope would strengthen the Church’s peacebuilding role in conflict-ridden regions like Nigeria and the Sahel.
Bishop Tesfaselassie Medhin of Adigrat, Ethiopia, urged continuity in the Church’s compassionate stance towards suffering communities, citing the conflict in Tigray. Meanwhile, Dr Agnes Apea of Uganda and theologian Dr Charles Abugre of Kenya encouraged the Pope to focus on youth engagement, digital inclusion and global economic justice—issues that resonate deeply across Africa.
In parishes across Africa, the mood is one of celebration and prayerful reflection. Sister Josephine Mungai of Nairobi expressed a hope shared by many: “May he walk closely with the Global South and recognize the gift Africa is to the universal Church.”
As Pope Leo XIV embarks on his papal mission, African Catholics are watching with high expectations—for peace, inclusion and renewed attention to the continent’s spiritual and social aspirations.
Adira Kallo
