Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday called on Cameroon's authorities to examine their "conscience" and break "the chains of corruption" on the first day of a visit to the country.
After being welcomed by joyful crowds who lined the streets, the US-born pontiff gave his first address in an unusually direct tone to officials, including President Paul Biya, 93, who has led the central African country with a tight grip since 1982.
kAmQ$64FC:EJ :D 2 AC:@C:EJ[ 3FE :E >FDE 2=H2JD 36 6I6C4:D65 H:E9 C6DA64E 7@C 9F>2? C:89ED[Q E96 A@A6 D2:5 :? E96 AC6D6?46 @7 q:J2[ H9@D6 2FE9@C:E:6D 4C24<65 5@H? @? AC@E6DED DA2C<65 3J 9:D 5:DAFE65 C6\6=64E:@? 7@C 2? 6:89E9 E6C> :? ~4E@36C]Â k^Am
kAmQ!F3=:4 2FE9@C:E:6D 2C6 42==65 E@ D6CG6 2D 3C:586D[ ?6G6C 2D D@FC46D @7 5:G:D:@?[ 6G6? H96? :?D64FC:EJ D66>D AC6G2=6?E[Q 96 25565]k^Am
kAm~? %F6D52J[ D6G6C2= 4:G:= D@4:6EJ 8C@FAD 4@?56>?65 Q2? F?AC64656?E65 A6C:@5 @7 C6AC6DD:@?Q D:?46 E96 AC6D:56?E:2= A@==D]k^Am
kAm%96J 2=D@ 42==65 7@C E96 C6=62D6 @7 A@=:E:42= AC:D@?6CD[ D@>6 @7 H9@> 2C6 96=5 H:E9 ?@ =682= 32D:D]k^Am
kAmp>@?8 E96 2C@F?5 a[fga AC:D@?6CD C68:DE6C65 3J E96 @C82?:D2E:@?D[ a[eb_ 92G6 ?@E 366? D6?E6?465[ w6CG6 }K@F236E zH6E@[ 7C@> E96 }v~ $@FC46 56 G:6 W$@FC46 @7 {:76X[ H9@ D:8?65 E96 DE2E6>6?E[ E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmQxE :D E:>6 E@ 6I2>:?6 @FC 4@?D4:6?46 2?5 E2<6 2 3@=5 =62A 7@CH2C5[Q E96 A@A6 D2:5 :? 9:D 255C6DD]k^Am
kAmQx? @C56C 7@C A6246 2?5 ;FDE:46 E@ AC6G2:=[ E96 492:?D @7 4@CCFAE:@?]]] >FDE 36 3C@<6?[Q 96 25565]k^Am
kAmx? C6DA@?D6[ q:J2 E@=5 E96 @77:4:2=D 2?5 5:A=@>2ED 2DD6>3=65 :? E96 42A:E2= *2@F?56 E92E QE96 H@C=5 ?665D E96 >6DD286 @7 A6246Q 3C@F89E 3J {6@]k^Am
kAm%96 A@A6VD 7@FC\?2E:@? p7C:42? E@FC 3682? 2>:5 C6>2C<D 3J &$ !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A E92E 96 H2D Q?@E 2 3:8 72?Q @7 {6@ 27E6C E96 &$\3@C? A@?E:77 42==65 7@C A6246 :? E96 |:55=6 t2DE]k^Am
k9am\ V$@4:2= A6246V \k^9am
kAm~? q:J2VD H2E49[ r2>6C@@? 92D =@?8 366? A=28F65 3J H:56DAC625 6>36KK=6>6?E[ C2?<:?8 `ca?5 @FE @7 `ga @? E96 %C2?DA2C6?4J x?E6C?2E:@?2= H2E495@8VD a_ad r@CCFAE:@? x?56I]k^Am
kAmx? C646?E J62CD[ E96 hb\J62C\@=5 =6256C 92D >F=E:A=:65 9:D EC:AD 23C@25[ 6:E96C 7@C >65:42= EC62E>6?E @C @? 9@=:52J E@ 2 DH2?<J v6?6G2 9@E6=[ H96C6 E96 @AA@D:E:@? 244FD6D 9:> @7 DA=2D9:?8 @FE G2DE DF>D @7 E2IA2J6CDV >@?6J]Â k^Am
kAmp? :?E6C?2E:@?2= 4@?D@CE:F> @7 :?G6DE:82E:G6 ;@FC?2=:DED[ E96 ~C82?:K65 rC:>6 2?5 r@CCFAE:@? #6A@CE:?8 !C@;64E W~rr#!X[ :? a_`g 6DE:>2E65 E96 E@E2= =6?8E9 @7 9:D AC:G2E6 DE2JD 23C@25 2E c]d J62CD @G6C E9C66\2?5\2\92=7 564256D[ H:E9 2 4@DE @7 Sed >:==:@?]k^Am
kAmw6 9:89=:89E65 E96 C@=6 @7 QH@>6?VD 2?5 J@FE9 @C82?:D2E:@?D[ EC256 F?:@?D[ 9F>2?:E2C:2? }v~D 2D H6== 2D EC25:E:@?2= 2?5 C6=:8:@FD =6256CDQ :? QH62G:?8 E96 723C:4 @7 D@4:2= A6246Q]k^Am
kAmw6 FC865 2? 6?5 E@ E96 D6A2C2E:DE 4@?7=:4E :? r2>6C@@?VD t?8=:D9\DA62<:?8 ?@CE9H6DE[ H96C6 96 H:== 9625 7@C 2 G:D:E @? %9FCD52J F?56C E:89E D64FC:EJ]Â Â k^Am
kAm4><^D3<^<;>k^Am
