Opening his visit to Cameroon on Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV delivered a pointed message on the integrity of leadership, urging authorities to confront endemic corruption. Speaking at the presidential palace in Yaoundé, he told President Paul Biya, 93, that public authority must restore its credibility by breaking “the chains of corruption”.

The comments come at the start of a three-day pastoral visit, the first papal trip to Cameroon since 2009. It follows President Paul Biya’s disputed re-election in November 2025, extending more than 40 years in power, against a backdrop of governance challenges and a separatist conflict in the anglophone regions since 2017.

Later on Wednesday, Leo XIV also visited the Saint Thérèse orphanage in Yaoundé, meeting children and caregivers. The visit drew emotional reactions, with residents gathering outside to see the Pope, reflecting the Church’s continued influence.

On Thursday, Leo XIV is due to attend a peace meeting in Bamenda, where violence has killed more than 6,000 people, according to the International Crisis Group. A three-day pause in fighting has been announced ahead of his arrival. He will then celebrate Mass in Douala on Friday, with up to 600,000 people expected in a country where Catholics make up about 29% of the population.