Pope Leo XIV to visit Equatorial Guinea prison on final leg of African tour
via Punch Nigeria2 min read
Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit Bata prison in Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday, as part of his extensive African tour. The prison is known for its challenging conditions, including overcrowding, poor sanitation, and mistreatment of inmates. During his visit, the Pope will meet with prisoners, families, and young people at Bata’s stadium. He will also honor the victims of a 2021 accident in the coastal city, where a fire at a munitions depot caused over 100 deaths and approximately 600 injuries. Pope Leo XIV arrived in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday, following stops in Algeria, Cameroon, and Angola. He urged the country to prioritize "law and justice," remarks made in an authoritarian nation frequently accused of human rights abuses. The Pope's itinerary also includes a visit to Mongomo for a mass and a school tour. Equatorial Guinea, a country where 80 percent of its two million people are Catholic, is rich in oil, but faces significant wealth inequality. Hydrocarbon production accounts for 46 percent of its economy. The Pope will conclude his 11-day, 18,000-kilometer African journey on Thursday with an open-air mass in Malabo before returning to Rome.
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