The first Pontiff in modern history to have direct knowledge of Africa, Pope Leo XIV, since his time as head of the Augustinian Order, had personally visited all regions of the continent: central, southern, western and sub-Saharan Africa.
On board the papal flight from Rome to Algiers, Pope Leo told journalists: “As early as last May, I said that for my first trip I would like to visit Africa. Many immediately suggested Algeria to me because of Saint Augustine.”
Eleven days, eighteen flights, over 18,000 kilometres: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. The journey included 25 speeches and homilies, eight public Masses, meetings with presidents, bishops and imams. In his interventions, the Pope highlighted the Church’s works of mercy through his encounters with prisoners, orphans and the elderly and by meeting hundreds of thousands of faithful. His remarkable gift for languages was evident: “he spoke to us in French, Portuguese, Spanish and English to establish personal contact with the different local populations.”
Blessed Are the Peacemakers
In an historic address to the authorities in Cameroon on 15th April, the day of his arrival, Pope Leo spoke directly about the humanitarian, political and social crisis that has afflicted the country for a decade. He described the human cost in stark terms: lives lost, families displaced, children deprived of education, and a generation of young people left without hope, while praising the country’s cultural and linguistic diversity as a “treasure” rather than a burden.
A key moment of the visit took place in Bamenda, at the heart of a region torn apart by separatist violence for ten years. The Pope presided over a meeting for peace at St Joseph’s Cathedral. Around the table sat a traditional leader, a Presbyterian Moderator, an Imam and a Catholic nun. “An evocative image that will nourish our imagination for a long time,” said Elisabeth, a resident of Bamenda: “a Pope surrounded by representatives of different faiths and communities in a city at the heart of an ongoing conflict, who calls for dialogue instead of violence, reconciliation instead of revenge.”
The Pope addressed the entire community, including people who had travelled many kilometres from the North-West and South-West regions, overcoming fear and obstacles to be present. He thanked all those who choose each day to build bridges and heal wounds. But he also issued a warning “to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic or political gain.” He denounced those, he said, “who rob your land of its resources generally invest much of the profit in weapons, thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilization and death.”
“Dear Young People, You Are the Beloved Children of the African Land!”
The Pope’s second day in Cameroon was entirely dedicated to young people. Leo XIV chose to directly address this vibrant and dynamic youth in his homily that, first before 120,000 faithful at the Japoma Stadium in Douala and then before students at the Catholic University of Central Africa. He repeatedly urged young people to resist the temptations of emigration, corruption and the illusions of the digital world. Underlying his message—repeated twice that day—was a clear conviction: the future of the continent will be built here, not elsewhere.
At the Japoma Stadium, the Pope did not shy away from the country’s reality, speaking openly about both material and spiritual poverty. He invited the young people “to make your noble spirit the prophetic voice of a new world,” drawing inspiration from the Acts of the Apostles: “the first Christians gave courageous witness to the Lord Jesus in the face of difficulties and threats”. Recalling their perseverance even amid suffering, he urged them to “Reject every form of abuse or violence, which deceives by promising easy gains but hardens the heart.” He reminded them of their true wealth: “faith, family, hospitality and work.” To illustrate his message, Pope Leo XIV referred to Blessed Floribert Bwana Chui, a Congolese martyr killed in 2007 for refusing, in his role as a customs officer, to allow a shipment of counterfeit medicines to pass through. He is presented as a model of resistance to corruption and an example for African youth. The Pope concluded with a powerful invitation: “Become Good News for your country.”
Form “Minds Capable of Discernment”
In the afternoon in Yaoundé, the Pope was welcomed at the Catholic University of Central Africa, a leading institution in the region that attracts over 5,000 students each year, particularly from Gabon, Chad and Equatorial Guinea. Around 8,000 people gathered to greet him with the enthusiasm typical of the academic world.
Addressing this audience of young Africans, Pope Leo XIV spoke about pressing and sensitive issues: corruption, artificial intelligence and its risks, migration and more.
He placed at the centre of his reflection the tension between the temptation to emigrate and responsibility towards one’s own country. “In the face of the understandable tendency to migrate, which may lead one to believe that elsewhere a better future may be more easily found, I invite you, first and foremost, to respond with an ardent desire to serve your country”, he told the students. He reminded them that the university was founded thirty-five years ago precisely to form “witnesses of wisdom and justice, of which the African continent needs.”
Speaking about artificial intelligence, the Pope warned with unusual gravity: “When simulation becomes the norm …. We thus come to live within bubbles, impermeable to one another. Feeling threatened by anyone who is different.” His conclusion was direct: “In this way, polarization, conflict, fear and violence spread. What is at stake is not merely the risk of error, but a transformation in our very relationship with truth”
The Pope also highlighted the environmental and human cost borne by Africa in the extraction of cobalt, an essential mineral for the batteries which power data centres and internet-connected devices. He spoke plainly: “the darker side of the environmental and social devastation caused by the relentless pursuit of raw materials and rare earths” must be denounced.
Liliane Mugombozi (Cameroon)
Photo: Courtesy of the Apostolic Nunciature in Cameroon
Algeria is the largest African country by land area, and of its 48 million inhabitants, Christians make up less than 1%. It is the country Pope Leo XIV chose as the first stop of his African journey, which will then take him to Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea. He arrived on April 13, 2026, and his initial meetings with the Algerian community highlighted the life and work of interreligious organizations and initiatives that have been active in the country for many years, often little known.
One of these is the Focolare Movement, a network dedicated to spiritual unity that arrived in predominantly Muslim Algeria in 1966. Its activities in the country are animated by Muslim members—mostly women—who take part by working in small groups throughout Algeria. They offer assistance in local centers for the elderly, provide tutoring for students, or study together with them.
The experience of a “true” faith—one that “does not isolate but opens, unites without confusing, draws close without imposing uniformity, and fosters genuine fraternity”—was shared in French by Monia Zergane, a Muslim woman whose life has become “a sign of hope for our world.” In the services of the Catholic Church in Algeria, Christians and Muslims work “side by side,” she explained, sharing the same concerns: “to welcome, serve, listen, care for the most vulnerable, organize, secure financial resources, and ensure that activity centers are safe places that uphold human dignity.” It is a service to the most “vulnerable”—women, children, the elderly, the sick—lived “together” and capable of creating a “real fraternity,” she said, grounded in the conviction that “to serve humanity is first and foremost to serve God.” This commitment, she emphasized, is nourished by all the “beautiful” qualities brought into play: skills, dedication, patience, forgiveness, compassion, and kindness.
She also spoke of brothers and sisters who were an “immense help and comfort” to her during illness, recalling with gratitude how she “could rely on their closeness, their unwavering solidarity, their gentleness, and their prayers.” In particular, the presence of a Focolare community and the daily effort to put love of neighbor into practice, she acknowledged, “often challenges me and helps me understand that life is not primarily made up of great, visible works, but of a communion lived day by day.” Aware that fraternity is also built through “simple gestures—a smile, a greeting that comes from the heart, a kind word, a service offered without expecting anything in return—and through the small things of everyday life: exchanging good wishes for a feast, sharing a meal after a time of fasting, listening to the spiritual meaning of a celebration.”
In the whirlwind of rapid news about the war in Lebanon, individual stories are lost and human faces fade behind the numbers of displaced people and reports of bombing. Yet the reality, as the testimonies on the ground reveal, is much deeper and more painful than the headlines suggest. In this “time of war”, hundreds of thousands of Lebanese people live in a condition of repeated displacement, as if it were a destiny that is renewed with each new wave of violence. But in the midst of this darkness, human faces also emerge, seeking to restore meaning to life.
Since escalation began and with the increase of air raids and evacuation orders, displacement is no longer an exceptional event, but has become a way of life. No longer are individual areas evacuated, but entire regions, from the south to the Beqaa to the heart of the capital Beirut. In this context, the number of displaced people has surpassed one million, in one of the largest waves of internal displacement in the country’s recent history. Many civilians have lost their lives.
Behind this number, however, there are human stories that encapsulate the tragedy. Zeina Chahine conducted some interviews to convey the pain of people and, at the same time, the greatness of humanitarian action that becomes encounter, consolation and collective strength against injustice.
Marwan, evacuated from the south, summed up the experience with a painful phrase: “We are slowly withering”. It is not just a metaphor, but the description of a life that is gradually consumed, in which people are losing their home, work and stability without however entirely losing hope… though that hope is worn down. Marwan adds that even the idea of returning has changed: he no longer dreams of his home, but simply returning, in any possible way.
Nawal instead recounts the moment of the forced flight: a phone call in the middle of the night, a few minutes to gather what could be carried, then the escape under bombardment. “What should we bring with us?” is a question that captures the helplessness in the face of the sudden collapse. A small suitcase in exchange for a lifetime left behind. She, like many others, had the experience of displacement not once, but over and over again, until going back to “square one” became part of the experience itself.
Children and young people also pay the price. Sixteen year old Suleiman finds himself out of school, in a temporary shelter and sums up the war by saying: “It is my cross in this life”. Words that show how war steals not only the present, but also the innocence of youth.
But alongside this pain another image exists, no less present: that of human solidarity. From schools transformed into reception centres and overcrowded corners of cities, volunteers and individual initiatives emerge that try to fill the void of absence. People sleeping on the floor, with a severe lack of the most essential good, while gradual attempts are made to provide mattresses and blankets. The need is not only for food and water, but also for everything that preserves human dignity, such as personal hygiene products… because even in displacement, people need to have their dignity.
Abir, a mother and a volunteer, sees help as a human duty first and foremost. She says that what is most striking is “the fear in people’s eyes”, that constant anxiety about an uncertain future. But at the same time she also observes a strong drive towards solidarity: “People rush to help, without expecting anything”. In a context where institutions are sometimes limited, individual initiatives become the first line of defence for humanity.
This encounter between pain and solidarity reveals a strong contradiction: war divides people, but at the same time creates unexpected spaces of solidarity. It is as if society, in moments of collapse, rediscovers itself through its individual people.
Despite the differences in opinions and affiliations, there is a common sense of feeling uprooted and the rejection of war and its tragedies. Over time, even the form of hope changes: from “if God wills we will return to our homes” to simply “if God wills, we will return”. A hope that diminishes but does not extinguish.
A question remains on everyone’s lips: “Where will we go tomorrow?” It is not a question about a specific destination, but about destiny itself.
Yet, despite all the suffering, these testimonies reveal a twofold truth: war wounds human being deeply but it cannot erase humanity. Between a tent and a shelter, between loss and nostalgia, another form of resistance is born: the resistance of solidarity.
Thus, while some slowly wither, others water them with as much solidarity as they can, keeping life possible. Because faith in human brotherhood is a reality that we have internalized by living and practicing it, it has been handed down from our parents and grandparents, until it has become like the blood in our veins and part of our civilization.
Elaborato da Rima Saikali Al Madina Al Jadida
The Middle East emergency appeal is underway. Every contribution helps bring relief to the many families affected by the scourge of war: many have lost their homes, others seek refuge in facilities that open their doors despite increasingly limited resources.
The Sophia University Institute is launching a new academic offering for the 2026/2027 academic year, marking a decisive step in the growth of the institution and in the expansion of its international academic project. The new proposal provides a complete university pathway (3+2) integrating two fully structured cycles of study: the Baccalaureate in Philosophy and Human Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree, interclass L-5/L-24) and the Master’s Degree in Philosophy, Economy of Communion and Environment (Master’s Degree, class LM-78).
The new academic proposal of the Sophia University Institute stems from a simple and radical conviction: knowledge is not merely a collection of information but a concrete tool for changing the world.
Rector Declan J. O’Byrne says, “In this time of epochal change characterized by uncertainty and fragmentation with this new academic offering, Sophia confirms its mission, assuming a strategic role in the forming people capable of combining critical thinking, interdisciplinary skills, planning and responsibility towards the common good, to lay the foundations of a different future, acting in the context of integral sustainability, the economy, social and territorial planning and innovation”.
Thanks to the institutional collaboration with the University of Perugia (Italy), both programmes allow the achievement of a double academic degree – ecclesiastical and state-recognized, with full validity in the Italian university system and international recognition.
The Baccalaureate and the Master’s
The Baccalaureate in Philosophy and Human Sciences – Bachelor’s Degree (L-5/L-24) – is a degree course that offers interdisciplinary training focused on understanding the person in their cognitive, emotional, relational and social dimensions. It prepares students to continue their studies, to access teaching paths and to take on educational, social, design and cultural roles.
The Master’s Degree in Philosophy, Economy of Communion and Environment – Master’s Degree (LM-78) – develops Sophia’s interdisciplinary method within the fields of economics, integral sustainability and governance. It forms professionals capable of understanding and guiding economic, social and organisational processes. The degree program promotes a critical reflection on contemporary economic models and encourages the search for ethical and sustainable solutions, in particular, in the fields of ecology, urban development, organizations and communities.
The focus on Economy of Communion and Civil Economy makes this path unique in the Italian and international academic landscape, offering students tools to understand and transform contemporary economic systems, to contribute concretely to the construction of sustainable, inclusive and generative economies. The proposed training prepares professionals capable of guiding corporate social responsibility processes, of developing sustainable innovation projects, of working in the regeneration of territories, of assuming roles in companies, public bodies and the third sector oriented to human development and integral sustainability.
Doctoral programmes in Human Sciences and in the Culture of Unity are also offered, completing the Institute’s academic provision.
In The Heart of Tuscany
With the next academic year, Sophia will inaugurate a new educational center in Florence (at the Institute affiliated with the Theological Faculty of Central Italy), which will host the activities of the Baccalaureate. The choice of Florence allows access to the academic, professional and cultural opportunities of one of the most prestigious university cities in Europe.
The Master’s Degree remains rooted in the international campus of Loppiano, which offers an international and intercultural environment in which students from numerous countries have the opportunity to share study, daily life and educational experiences.
The strength of the academic relationship: one teacher for every five students
One of the distinctive elements of academic life at Sophia is the student-teacher ratio, which is approximately 1:5. This allows a personalized accompaniment, ongoing dialogue and a study environment that values relationships as an integral part of the learning process. The Sophia model moves beyond large, lecture-based teaching and promotes an interactive, person-centred approach focused on the quality of content and the development of critical, relational, and project-based skills.
A network of valuable partners
The quality of academic life at Sophia is further enriched by opportunities for personalised and globally oriented study experiences, thanks to a selected network of partners that support teaching activities and offer concrete opportunities for internships and professional placement in international contexts. These include: ASCES-UNITA, Sophia ALC (Latin America), Together for a New Africa, Economy of Communion Korea, Ethos Capital and Consulus.
