Pope Leo visits historic slave trade site in Angola, calls for a better world

Pope Leo prayed at the Sanctuary of Mama Muxima in Angola on Sunday, a Catholic shrine with a complex history tied to the African slave trade. The site, originally built by Portuguese colonizers in the late 16th century as part of a fortress, served as a hub where enslaved Africans were baptized before being forced to walk over 110 kilometers to the port of Luanda for transport to the Americas. Leo, whose own ancestry includes both enslaved people and slave owners, addressed an estimated 30,000 faithful gathered outside, urging them to build a more welcoming world free from wars, injustices, poverty, and dishonesty. He did not specifically mention slavery but recalled the centuries of sorrow and suffering endured by Angolans. The sanctuary, located in the savannahs near the Kwanza River, became a major pilgrimage destination after reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary around 1833. Muxima's past highlights the Catholic Church's involvement in the slave trade, including forced baptisms, and what some scholars describe as the Holy See's ongoing reluctance to fully acknowledge and atone for this history. After viewing plans for a new basilica at the site, Leo emphasized the need for societal improvement without directly referencing the colonial atrocities.