00:19hello and we go live back to Equatoria Guinea at this hour for Leo 14th is in
00:24Mongomo where he is holding a mass the mass is taking place at Basilica of the Immaculate
00:30Conception what the Basilica has capacity seating capacity of about 1,000 organizers have increased
00:39these to approximately 1,500 inside the church the circular explanation around in the Basilica can
00:46host around 7,000 people through the attendance is expected to exceed the number the
00:54accommodate the overflow large screens have been installed to ensure that those outside can
00:59follow the celebration it is drawing a strong participation from across the region delegations
01:05from neighboring countries particularly Cameroon have already arrived with more than 1,000 visitors
01:13expected over ten bishops from Cameroon are among those attending accompanied by groups of faithfuls
01:19traveling in organized convoys the Basilica of the Immaculate Concession is our Roman Catholic
01:25minor basilica and cathedral located in Mongomo dedicated to the Immaculate Concession of the
01:31Blessed Virgin Mary the patroness of the nation itself as the principal church and episcopal seat
01:38of the diocese of Mongomo accommodating worship for the local Catholic community in our region with deep
01:45Spanish colonial religious influences consecrated on December 7 2011 by Cardinal Francis Arainse and
01:54elevated to minor basilica status by Vatican decree the same month the structure stands as the largest
02:01religious building in Central Africa blending a spiritual significance with monumental architecture
02:07inspired by classical Roman and Vatican designs as a symbol of faith and national identity the Basilica
02:15underscores the predominance of Catholicism in Equatoria Guinea where over 80 percent of the population
02:22adheres to the faith let's remember that this is the fourth and final stop of this journey that started in
02:29Algeria making stops also in Cameroon Angola and Angola this apostolic journey of Pope Leo 14th to Africa began on
02:38April 13th and is expected to finish on April 23th
02:43marking his first trip to the African continent since his election to the papacy in May 2025
02:49the 11-day visit has combined pastoral encounters with Catholic communities meetings with political leaders and civil society and symbolic
03:00justice of interreligious dialogues and reconciliation
03:03the itinerary has reflected a focus on peace youth engagement and the church's social mission across Africa
03:11the apostolic journey to Africa is to conclude on Thursday April 23 with a final mass celebrated by the Pope
03:18at Malabo Stadium
03:20following the farewell ceremony at Malabo International Airport the Holy Father is to depart for Rome arriving later the evening
03:29at Rome's Fumicino International Airport
03:33we are seeing live images at this time of the preparations ahead of the mass that Pope Leo 14th is
03:41going to celebrate in Montgomo at the Immaculacum Section Basilica
03:46the first we see in live images of this time the Pope said to hold the mass so we are
03:54going to listen at this time
04:02Jesus said to the crowds I am the bread of life whoever comes to me will never hunger and whoever
04:10believes in me will never thirst
04:13but I told you that although you have seen me you do not believe
04:24everything that the Father gives me will come to me and I will not reject anyone who comes to me
04:31because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent
04:38me
04:39and this is the will of the one who sent me
04:41that I should not lose anything of what he gave me but that I should raise it on the last
04:48day
04:49for this is the will of my father that everyone who sees the son and believes in him may have
04:56eternal life
04:58and I shall raise him on the last day
05:32the holy father takes the book of the gospels given to him by the deacon and blesses the faithful
05:58the holy father will deliver his homily in spanish
06:12dear brothers and sisters we are gathered in this magnificent cathedral basilica
06:19dedicated to the immaculate conception mother of the incarnate word and patroness of equatorial guinea
06:29to listen to the lord's word and to celebrate the memorial that he has left us as the source
06:37and summit of the church's life and mission
06:43the eucharist truly contains every spiritual good of the church
06:48church it is christ our passover who gives himself to us he is the living bread that nourishes us
06:59his presence in the eucharist reveals god's infinite love for the entire human family
07:06and the way he encounters every man woman and every man even today
07:15i'm pleased to be able to celebrate with you and give thanks to the lord for these 170 years of
07:24evangelization
07:25and equatorial guinea it is a fitting occasion to recall all the good that the lord has done
07:36and at the same time i wish to express my gratitude to the many missionaries
07:45diocesan priests
07:47catechists and lay faithful who have devoted their lives in service of the gospel
08:02they have taken up the aspirations questions and wounds of your people
08:07and illuminated them with the lord's word becoming themselves a sign of god's love among you
08:16through the example of their lives they have played their part in bringing about the kingdom of god
08:24unafraid of suffering for their fidelity to christ
08:33it is a history that you must never forget
08:37on the one hand it links you to the universal and apostolic church that came before you
08:44on the other it has made you protagonists in proclaiming the gospel and bearing witness to the faith
08:50fulfilling the prophetic words spoken
08:54by pope saint paul the sixth on african soil
09:01africans from now on you are missionaries to yourselves
09:08the church of christ is well and truly planted in this blessed soil
09:18with this in mind you are called upon today to follow in the footsteps of the missionaries
09:25pastors and lay people who have gone before you each and every one of you is invited to make a
09:33personal
09:33commitment that encompasses your entire life so that the faith celebrated so joyfully in your
09:41communities and in your liturgies may also nourish your charitable works
09:47and the sense of responsibility toward your neighbor
09:51for building up the common good
09:53such a commitment requires perseverance it demands effort and at times sacrifice
10:06yet it is the sign that we are truly the church of christ in fact the first reading we heard
10:14narrates in just a few verses
10:17how a church that fearlessly and joyfully proclaims the gospel
10:23is also a church that precisely for this reason may be persecuted
10:30nevertheless the acts of the apostles tells us that
10:35while christians were forced to flee and were scattered
10:40many drew near to the word of the lord
10:43and could see with their own eyes
10:45how those who were sick in body and spirit were healed
10:50these
10:54were the miraculous signs of god's presence
10:59which brought great joy
11:01to the whole city
11:09brothers and sisters even when faced with personal family and social situations that are not always
11:16favorable
11:18we can trust that the lord is at work
11:21making the good seed of his kingdom
11:24grow in ways unknown to us
11:28including when everything
11:30around us
11:33seems barren
11:34and even in moments of darkness
11:38with such confidence rooted in the power of his love
11:42rather than in our own merits
11:45we are called to remain faithful to the gospel
11:48to proclaim it
11:49to live it fully
11:51and to bear witness to it with joy
11:56god will not fail to provide signs of his presence
12:01and just as jesus told us in the gospel we heard
12:06he once again will be for us
12:08the bread of life
12:11that satisfies our hunger
12:14what is the hunger we feel
12:20and what does this nation hunger for today
12:23the motto
12:25chosen for my visit is
12:28christ light of equatorial guinea
12:31towards a future of hope
12:34perhaps this is
12:37precisely the greatest hunger today
12:40there is hunger for justice
12:43imbued with hope
12:44that is capable of engendering a new sense of justice
12:49and producing fruits of peace and fraternity
12:55this is not an unknown future that we must passively await
12:59but rather one that we ourselves are called to build with god's grace
13:05the future of equatorial guinea depends upon your choices
13:10it is entrusted to your sense of responsibility
13:15and to your shared commitment to safeguard the life and dignity of every person
13:29every person
13:31it is therefore necessary for all the baptized to feel
13:39that they are part of the work of evangelization
13:44and so become apostles of charity
13:48and witnesses to a new humanity
13:52it is a matter of taking part with the life and strength of the gospel
13:57in the integral development of this land
14:02in its renewal and in its transformation
14:06the creator has endowed you with great natural wealth
14:13i urge you to work together so that it may be a blessing for all
14:18may the lord help you to become a society
14:21in which everyone
14:24each according to their respective responsibilities
14:27works ever more fully to serve the common good
14:31rather than private interests
14:34bridging the gap
14:36between the privileged and the disadvantaged
14:41may there be greater room for freedom
14:44and may the dignity of the human person
14:46always be safeguarded
14:48my thoughts go to the poorest
14:52to families experiencing difficulty
14:55and to prisoners
14:57who are often forced to live
15:00in troubling hygienic and sanitary conditions
15:12brothers and sisters
15:13there is need for christians to take the destiny of equatorial guinea
15:17into their own hands
15:20for this reason i would like to encourage you
15:23do not be afraid to proclaim the gospel
15:26and bear witness to it with your lives
15:30be builders of a future of hope
15:32peace and reconciliation
15:35carrying on the work begun by the missionaries 170 years ago
15:41may the immaculate virgin mary be with you on this journey
15:44may she intercede for you
15:48and help you to become generous and joyful disciples of christ
16:00and that was pope leo the fourteenth homily for this mass in mongomo
16:07in equatorial guinea
16:09the holy father recalling the service of the
16:13many missionaries and the
16:16who came to this land
16:18and we will listen to the remarks of the pope 14th ahead of his mass set to celebrate it in
16:25the basilica
16:26of the immaculate concession in mongomo where he is scheduled
16:30to stay for the day and have another
16:34meetings ahead of this after this but me a mass that is
16:41beginning right now in mongomo we will keep you informed about this
16:45and more in a communist brief so stay tuned with telescope english for more
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