The Pope is heading back to Rome on Thursday after wrapping up an ambitious four-nation Africa tour with emphatic speech, which decried the direction of global leadership, denouncing despotism and war.
Leo, who is the first pope to visit since 1982, is at the end of one of the most complicated overseas tours ever arranged for a pontiff. He has traversed nearly 18,000 km (11,185 miles) across 18 flights to 11 cities in four countries.
His final mass was in a stadium in Equatorial Guinea, where more than 70% of the population of 1.8 million identifies as Catholic. Tens of thousands began gathering in pouring rain before dawn for a last chance to see Pope Leo.
Leo told worshippers in a homily, his 25th speech over the 10-day tour, that the Christian message means “every people is set free from the slavery of evil.” He urged them to live their faith with joy.
He also visited Algeria, Cameroon, and Angola.
Leo has warned that the whims of the world’s richest threaten peace, decried violations of international law by “neocolonial” global powers, and said the world was “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.”
President Trump attacked Leo as “terrible” on April 12, on the eve of Leo’s Africa tour, in an apparent response to the pope’s criticisms of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
He lobbed several more critiques throughout the first week of the tour.
Leo responded on April 13 that he would keep raising his voice despite Trump’s criticism. He later clarified to reporters that the speeches for the tour were written weeks ago and not aimed directly at Trump.
The pope, departing shortly after midday on Thursday, is due to arrive at Rome’s Fiumicino airport a little before 8 p.m. (1800 GMT). He is expected to hold a news conference aboard the flight.
Reuters/Shakirat Sadiq