Pope urges youth to stay and fight corruption during Cameroon visit

Pope Leo XIV has celebrated Mass in Cameroon’s capital, Yaoundé, as he continues his 11-day tour across Africa.

President Paul Biya was among those attending the service, where the pontiff blessed the crowd and delivered a message focused on the country’s future.

During a separate Mass on Friday, the Pope urged young people in Cameroon to resist the temptation to migrate, encouraging them instead to stay and work for the common good. He also called for morally upright citizens to help fight corruption affecting many African nations.

Friday marked the midpoint of his four-country tour. The Pope is now set to travel to Angola, a nation rich in oil and natural resources, but where around a third of the population lives on less than $2.15 a day.

Cameroon itself is a young nation, with a median age of just 18, and remains an important center for Catholic growth and priestly vocations.