Story perspectives

Pope Leo XIV warns sorcery beliefs fuel African poverty.

4/23/2026

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**Pope Leo Warns**

Pope Leo XIV warned that belief in curses and sorcery traps Angolans in poverty and illness.
Masses were celebrated in Algeria, Angola, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea as the U.S.-born Pope Leo XIV toured.
Missionaries said attributing illness to spells leads many to avoid hospitals, causing infections and amputations.
Sisters and priests argued that fear of sorcery blocks progress and urged reliance on Jesus.

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**Pope Leo Clarifies**

Pope Leo clarified that his Africa-tour comments were prepared weeks earlier and were not personal attacks on President Donald Trump.
The pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, first U.S.-born, visited Angola on April 20, 2026, concluding the tour’s third leg with about 130,000 attendees.
His sermons condemned violence, exploitation and the actions of despots and tyrants across Africa.
He will travel to Equatorial Guinea on April 21 to meet President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

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**Pope Leo Warns**

Pope Leo XIV warned that belief in curses and sorcery traps Angolans in poverty and illness.
Masses were celebrated in Algeria, Angola, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea as the U.S.-born Pope Leo XIV toured.
Missionaries said attributing illness to spells leads many to avoid hospitals, causing infections and amputations.
Sisters and priests argued that fear of sorcery blocks progress and urged reliance on Jesus.

1 / 2