Pope Leo XIV traveled to the heart of Angola's diamond country April 20, urging the tens of thousands gathered at the papal Mass in the country's northeast to trust that "Christ hears the cry of the people" in the face of evil.

On the eighth day of Pope Leo's apostolic journey to Africa, the pope flew some 500 miles east of the Angolan capital Luanda to Saurimo, a city located near the country's border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and about 20 miles from Angola's largest diamond mine, Catoca.

Amid the exploitation long associated with Angola's diamond industry, the pope delivered a homily in Portuguese that did not shy away from the social realities of a region long marked by resource extraction and inequality.

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"We can see today how the hope of many people is frustrated by violence, exploited by the overbearing and defrauded by the rich," Pope Leo said in his homily. "Consequently, when injustice corrupts hearts, the bread of all becomes the possession of a few."

"In the face of these evils, Christ hears the cry of the people and renews our history by lifting us up from every fall, comforting us in every suffering and encouraging us in our mission," the pope said.

Local authorities estimated approximately 40,000 people gathered on the Saurimo esplanade under the hot sun for the Mass, with an additional 20,000 participating from beyond the boundaries of the liturgy's secured area.

In Christ, the pope told the crowd, "the proclamation of our resurrection finds its voice."

"Just as the Eucharist is the living bread that he never ceases to give us, so too his history knows no end. For this reason, the Risen One opens up our lives through the power of his Spirit and removes the end of our history, that is death," the pope said.

"We did not come into the world to die. We were not born to become slaves either to the corruption of the flesh or that of the soul: Every form of oppression, violence, exploitation and dishonesty negates the resurrection of Christ, the supreme gift of our freedom," he added.

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In his homily, the pope warned against replacing genuine faith with "superstitious practices, in which God becomes an idol that is sought only when it is advantageous to us and only for as long as it is" and "even the most beautiful gifts of the Lord, which are always for the care of his people, become a pretext, a prize or a bargaining chip, and are misinterpreted by those who receive them."

Pope Leo said that there are "erroneous motives for seeking Christ, particularly when he is considered to be a guru or a good luck charm," but quickly added that the Lord "does not reject this insincere search, but encourages its conversion."

"Christ calls us to freedom," the pope proclaimed to the Angolan Catholics.

Before the Mass, Pope Leo visited a nursing home that is home to 74 elderly residents ranging in age from 60 to 93. Many arrive in poor physical condition, brought by police who intervene after family members abandon them, often accusing them of witchcraft.

Staff at the home have noted that such accusations are increasingly being used as a pretext to avoid the burden of caring for aging relatives. One caregiver at the residence told Vatican News she saw the pope's visit as "an immense lesson" for a society she believes must rediscover the value of its elders.

The visit was marked by moments of joy. Several residents danced in celebration of the pope's presence, including one elderly man who danced using a cane.

Pope Leo addressed the staff and residents directly, calling the care of the most vulnerable a measure of a society's moral health.

"The care of the weakest is a very important sign of the quality of the social life of a nation," the pope said.

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He added: "Let us not forget that the elderly are not only in need of assistance, but first and foremost need to be listened to, because they preserve the wisdom of a people."

(Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.)