As with previous flights during his visit to Africa, Pope Leo XIV greeted journalists and answered questions from local correspondents during the journey from Luanda, Angola, to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. He responded to questions from three Angolan media journalists.

Before that, however, the Pope took a moment to wish two journalists a happy birthday, as they were celebrating during the flight: “Let's give them a round of applause.”

Church-State collaboration in Angola for health and education

A correspondent from Televisao Publica de Angola asked how the Church can help the Angolan government improve, particularly in the fields of education and healthcare.

In response, the Pope assured them that they are already “working together for the good of all the people, but from different points of view.”

He explained he had discussed these issues with the president to understand “how we can work together and where we can improve services that the state, in the case of Angola, offers to the people, especially in building new hospitals and new facilities, and making a strong commitment to the good of the people.”

A future Consistory

The Holy Father added that he believes “the Church has the responsibility, through testimony, through the Word, and also through courageous preaching and proclamation of the Word of God, to recognize the rights of all and to help promote universal rights.”

When a correspondent for the Angolan News Agency asked about a potential Consistory and the creation of an Angolan cardinal, Pope Leo smiled.

“This is the question that many people want to ask,” the Pope answered, explaining that “it has not yet been decided when new cardinals will be created. We need to look at this matter on a global level... We hope that, for Africa and perhaps for Angola, in the not-so-distant future, we may be able to consider the nomination of new cardinals, including one for Angola.”

A call for evangelization, without proselytism

Before bidding farewell to the journalists and wishing them a “safe flight and good journey,” the Pope responded to one last question from a correspondent from Rádio Ecclésia, the Angolan Catholic broadcaster.

Pope Leo expressed his “joy” to see “the places in the world where the Church is growing.”

"There are other places in the world where the opposite happens, so here there is a call for evangelization, to continue proclaiming the Gospel and to try to invite others, not through proselytism, as Pope Francis has said many times,” he said.

Pope Leo encouraged drawing people to the faith through “beauty, the attraction of faith, and the joy of the believers, which is one of the best announcements of the faith, of the Gospel.”

More pastors for the good of the people

In Angola, “the Church is growing.” The Holy Father pointed out that this is also thanks to the work of the bishops in collaboration with the Apostolic Nuncio.

“We can concretely see where it would be important to create new dioceses for the good of the people, to have the opportunity for more bishops who can be closer as pastors to the people,” he said.