Pope Leo XIV Denounces 'Handful of Tyrants' During Historic Visit to Restive Cameroon

Pope Leo XIV, visiting Cameroon's restive Anglophone city of Bamenda on Thursday, delivered a sharp condemnation of world leaders he described as "a handful of tyrants" destroying the planet through war and greed, in remarks that carried clear resonance amid his ongoing public dispute with U.S. President Donald Trump. Speaking inside Saint-Joseph Cathedral to a crowd of 3,500 people, with an estimated 12,000 more gathered outside watching on large screens, the pontiff departed from his prepared remarks to address the global political climate directly. „We live in an age where a handful of tyrants, fueled by greed and an insatiable thirst for power, are systematically destroying the world God entrusted to us.” — Pope Leo XIV via Le Monde He also denounced leaders who "manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain," a charge that multiple outlets interpreted as directed at figures including Trump, who has used Christian imagery in his social media posts. The Pope called for an immediate end to hostilities in Cameroon's Anglophone regions, where a conflict that began nearly a decade ago has left more than and displaced . The visit marked the first time a pope had traveled to the region since the crisis began, according to Le Monde.

Trump fires back at pope from the White House The Bamenda address came days after Trump attacked Leo on his Truth Social platform, calling him "weak on crime and catastrophic on foreign policy" and stating he did not want a pope who criticized the U.S. president. Trump also told reporters he was "not a fan" of the pontiff. The Pope, speaking earlier in his trip, said he was "not afraid" of the president and would "always continue to speak out against war and in favor of peace." Trump responded to Thursday's remarks by telling White House reporters that the Pope must understand why Iran cannot possess nuclear weapons, citing what he described as Iranian killings of unarmed people, while adding he had "nothing against the Pope" but reserved the right to disagree. When asked whether he wished to meet Leo to resolve their differences, Trump replied simply: "I don't think it's necessary." The exchange represents one of the most public and sustained disputes between a sitting U.S. president and a reigning pope in recent memory. Leo had previously drawn Trump's ire by criticizing U.S. positions on Iran and the administration's strict immigration policy.

Pope meets conflict victims, including a kidnapped nun Beyond the cathedral address, Leo held a private meeting with 24 victims of the Cameroon conflict, including ordinary citizens and clergy members who had been kidnapped. Among them was Sister Mary-Grace, 32, who spent 18 days in captivity the previous year. „The Holy Father gripped my hand and told me that the world has not forgotten us.” — Sister Mary-Grace via Le Monde Earlier in the day, the Pope presided over an interfaith peace meeting at the cathedral with a traditional leader of the Mankon community, a Presbyterian moderator, an imam, and a Catholic nun, highlighting the interfaith movement working to end the conflict. He also presided over an outdoor pontifical mass at Bamenda airport before tens of thousands of faithful. Leo praised the cooperation between Christians and Muslims in the region and expressed a wish that such peace efforts could be replicated elsewhere in the world. „In how many places on earth I wish the same would happen! Blessed are those who work for peace!” — Pope Leo XIV via France 24

Biya hosts a pope who criticizes the powerful The visit carried pointed political weight inside Cameroon as well. Leo's presence in Bamenda came after he addressed Cameroonian President Paul Biya in Yaoundé on Wednesday, criticizing both internal governance failures and external resource exploitation. Biya, 93, has ruled Cameroon since 1982 and is widely considered one of the world's longest-serving heads of state. The Pope listed among Cameroon's scourges "moral, social, and political corruption, especially linked to the management of wealth," gaps in education and healthcare, and the emigration of young people abroad. „This is the moment to change, to transform the history of the country. Today and not tomorrow.” — Pope Leo XIV via La Razón Leo also targeted those who "loot the earth's resources" and invest the proceeds in weapons, describing it as "a world upside down, a distortion of God's creation that every upright conscience must denounce." The Vatican confirmed the Pope's eleven-day African tour would continue with a flight to N'Djamena, Chad, where he was scheduled to meet with 150 local youth leaders.

Cameroon's Anglophone Crisis erupted in 2017 when protests by lawyers and teachers in the country's English-speaking regions over perceived marginalization by the Francophone-dominated government escalated into an armed separatist insurgency. The conflict has since drawn in multiple armed factions and has been marked by atrocities attributed to both government forces and separatist groups. Cameroon gained independence from France in 1960, and Paul Biya became its second president in 1982. The Northwest and Southwest regions, which border Nigeria, were formerly administered by Britain and joined the Francophone republic following a 1961 plebiscite, a historical arrangement that separatists argue was never fully honored.