Pope Leo has wrapped up his four-nation visit to Africa with a trip to Equatorial Guinea, the first visit to the West African nation by a pontiff since John Paul II in 1982. During his visit, Leo met with prisoners who’ve been held for years without access to lawyers; called out corruption in African governments; denounced wealth inequality; and criticized foreign exploitation of Africa’s mineral wealth.

Pope Leo XIV: “One of the main drivers of the spread of armed conflicts is the colonization of oil and mineral deposits, without regard for international law or the right of peoples to self-determination.”