Pope Leo XIV visited Cameroon as part of his Africa tour, drawing massive crowds and holding several high-profile engagements across Douala and Yaoundé. He celebrated a public Mass in Douala that authorities and organizers said attracted roughly 120,000 worshippers, filling the grounds for the liturgy and receiving enthusiastic cheers throughout.
During the visit the pope met with students and faculty at the Catholic University of Central Africa, delivering messages directed especially at young people and urging hope and perseverance. He emphasized rejecting abuse, violence and “easy gains” that harden the heart, and encouraged Africans not to give in to distrust or discouragement amid challenges. In remarks and portions of the liturgy, he extended prayers and blessings for those suffering and praised hospital staff and religious sisters for their care and dedication.
Pope Leo also visited a Catholic hospital, offering prayers and words of consolation to patients, staff and religious sisters, and asking God’s grace and perseverance for caregivers. At public events he participated in symbolic moments — including the release of white doves as a gesture for peace — and offered the Lord’s blessing to attendees and local leaders.
The trip has taken place against a backdrop of heightened attention surrounding the pope’s high-profile positions and his public disputes with political figures, including an ongoing feud with President Trump that has drawn international coverage. The Cameroon engagements combined pastoral outreach with public liturgy, drawing large local participation and international interest. A video of the pope’s Cameroon visit and excerpts from Mass and other events were released by CBS News.