Pope Leo’s address to prayer meeting for peace with the Bamenda Community of Cameroon
St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Bamenda, – Thursday, April 16, 2026
Matthew 5:3-14).
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.
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Pope Leo’s address
Dearest Sisters and Brothers!
I stand before you with joy in this region so afflicted.
As your testimonies have shown, the pain that has pierced your community makes today’s awareness resonate even more strongly: God has never abandoned us!
In him and his peace, we can always start anew!
His Excellency the Archbishop recalled the prophecy that says, “Oh, how graceful are the feet of the herald of good news on the mountains” (Isaiah 52:7).
He greeted me with these words when I came among you. Now, I would like to respond:
“How beautiful are your feet, covered with the dust of this bloody but fertile land. This land is insulted yet rich in vegetation and abundant in fruit.”
These feet have brought you here, guiding you in the ways of goodness despite the trials and obstacles encountered.
May we all continue on the path of goodness that leads to peace.
Thank you because it’s true: “I am here to preach peace.”
Meanwhile, I see that you are preaching it to me and to the whole world.
As one of you just recalled, the crisis that shook these regions of Cameroon brought the Christian and Muslim communities closer than ever. Your religious leaders united and formed the Movement for Peace to mediate between the warring parties.
I wish this would happen in many places around the world.
Your work for peace can be a model for the whole world.
Jesus told us: “Blessed are the peacemakers!”
Woe to those who twist religions and even the name of God for military, economic, and political gain, dragging the sacred into the dirtiest and darkest of places.
Yes, my dear sisters and brothers who are hungry and thirsty for justice, who are poor, merciful, meek, and pure in heart, and who have wept: You are the light of the world!
Bamenda, you are a city on a hill today, magnificent in the eyes of all! Sisters and brothers, be the salt that flavors this land for a long time.
Don’t lose your flavor in the years to come!
Cherish all the moments you’ve shared that have brought you together during these sad times.
Let us appreciate this day when we came together to work for peace.
Be the oil that washes the wounds of your brothers and sisters.
In this context, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone, especially women, laypeople, and religious sisters who care for those affected by violence.
It is an enormous, unnoticed daily task that, as Sister Carine mentioned, endangers you.
War tycoons pretend not to know that destruction takes only a moment, while rebuilding often takes a lifetime.
They pretend not to see that it takes billions of dollars to kill and destroy, yet there are no necessary resources for healing, education, and uplifting communities.
Those who rob your land of its resources usually invest a significant portion of their profits in weapons, creating a spiral of destabilization and endless death.
This is a world turned upside down—a perversion of God’s creation—which every honest conscience must condemn and reject. We must choose a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn—conversion—which leads to a path balanced and rich in human fraternity.
A handful of those in power are destroying the world, but countless brothers and sisters are supporting it in existence through solidarity!
We are the offspring of Abraham, as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore.
Look yourself in the eye: You are already this huge people!
Peace does not have to be invented; it must be embraced by accepting our neighbors as our brothers and sisters. No one chooses their siblings: we only have to accept one another.
We are one family, living in the same house—this wonderful planet cared for by ancient cultures for millennia.
As I listened to your words, the words of Pope Francis in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium came to my mind.
He wrote, “A mission in the heart of the people is not an addition to my life, nor an ornament that I can take off. It is not another moment in life. It is something that I cannot uproot from myself without destroying myself. I am the mission in this world, and therefore I am in this world” (n. 273).
Dear brothers and sisters of Bamenda, I share these sentiments with you!
Let us serve peace together!
“We must accept ourselves as marked by fire by this mission of enlightenment, blessing, enlivening, uplifting, healing, and liberating.
In this way, the physician, teacher, and politician of souls is revealed, the one who has decided to be with and for others in the depths of his heart.”
In this way, my beloved predecessor encouraged us to walk together, each according to our vocations, broadening the framework of our communities. We must begin with our local work to achieve love for our neighbors, wherever they may be.
You are witnesses of this silent revolution!
As the Imam said, let us thank God that this crisis has not turned into a religious war, and let us continue trying to love one another.
Let us move forward tirelessly with courage, and above all, together—always together!
Let us walk together in love, always seeking peace.
[In front of the cathedral:] Dear brothers and sisters, today, the Lord has chosen us all to be instruments of peace on this earth. Let us pray to the Lord together so that peace may truly reign among us. When we release the white doves, which are a symbol of peace, may God’s peace rest upon us all and keep us united in His peace. Glory to the Lord!
