Pope Leo XIV Calls On African Youths To Stay Home And Build Africa

Pope Leo XIV has called on young Africans to resist the temptation to emigrate and instead direct their skills and knowledge toward building their home countries.

He delivered the message during his visit to Cameroon, where he addressed students and celebrated Mass in Douala.

The Catholic Pontiff identified corruption and the brain drain of the continent’s most talented citizens as two of the biggest barriers standing between Africa and genuine progress.

Speaking to students and faculty at the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaoundé on April 17, the Pope acknowledged the pull that opportunities abroad can have on young people, but stressed that their primary responsibility should be to contribute to the growth of their own societies.

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He urged them to apply the education they are gaining for the benefit of their fellow citizens, rather than treating migration as their only route to a better life.

Addressing the students directly, Pope Leo XIV said: “In the face of the understandable tendency to migrate, I invite you to respond with an ardent desire to serve your country.”

He also made a strong push against corruption, stressing that this awareness must be cultivated in the hearts of young people from their formative years.

“Africa, indeed, must be freed from the scourge of corruption,” Leo told the university students and their teachers in the capital Yaoundé.