In brief
In his final stop in Equatorial Guinea, Pope Leo criticized the treatment of prisoners in the country ahead of a visit to a notorious prison. During a Mass attended by around 100,000 people, he spoke about the poor living conditions inmates endure and called for the country's resources to serve the common good, rather than catering to the privileged few. His comments come amidst reports of human rights violations in Equatorial Guinea, including systematic beatings of inmates and the government's corruption.
Pope Leo has criticized the treatment of prisoners in Equatorial Guinea, ahead of a visit to a jail known for its dire conditions. He addressed the Central African nation on Wednesday at a Mass that drew some 100,000 people, including Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the country's leader. Pope Leo said: My thoughts go to the poorest, to families experiencing difficulty, and to prisoners who are often forced to live in troubling hygienic and sanitary conditions.Oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, a country with a poor human rights record and vast income inequalities, is the Pope's final stop on a four-nation tour of Africa. In the evening on Wednesday, his last full day of the tour, Pope Leo is scheduled to visit an infamous prison in the economic capital, Bata. Amnesty International has reported that inmates in Bata prison are reportedly routinely beaten as punishment, with numerous prisoners unaccounted for, leaving their families unaware of their fate.During Wednesday's Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in the town of Mongomo, the Pope urged Equatoguineans to serve the common good rather than private interests, bridging the gap between the privileged and the disadvantaged. He further called for the country's resources to be used to improve the lives of the wider population and condemned the excessive wealth diverted by the elite under Obiang's government.Pope Leo's tour included stops in Algeria, Cameroon, and Angola. His aspirations for Equatorial Guinea are filled with hope for a future where human dignity is always safeguarded, urging the people to work together for the common good. With reports cataloging the country as one of the world's most corrupt, and with half the population living in poverty, the Pope's remarks carry heavy implications for societal change.
