Friday, April 24, 2026 - Pope Leo has condemned the living conditions in Equatorial Guinea prisons during his four-nation African tour.
Speaking before a vast crowd of around 100,000 worshippers
on Wednesday, April 22, the pontiff turned his attention to the plight of
inmates in the oil-rich Central African state.
'My thoughts go to the poorest, to families experiencing
difficulty and to prisoners who are often forced to live in troubling, hygienic
and sanitary conditions,' he said.
"To be effective, however, it must always promote the
dignity of every person," the pontiff told hundreds of inmates gathered in
the prison courtyard, encouraging them not to despair.
"You are not alone," the pontiff said."Your
families love you and are waiting for you. Many people outside these walls are
praying for you," he added.
When he left, the prisoners who had been drenched in the
rain shouted "freedom".
The Pope's remarks come as he concludes a four-nation tour
of Africa, with Equatorial Guinea marking his final stop.
After meeting the inmates, the Pope visited a memorial for
victims of an explosion at a military base in 2021, which killed over 100
people and injured 600 others.
He then went on to address locals at the Bata stadium, where
he spoke about "respect for the rights of every citizen, every family,
every social group".
According to Amnesty International, inmates in the facility
are 'reportedly routinely beaten as punishment'.
The organization has also warned that numerous detainees
'have neither been seen nor heard from, and their relatives do not know whether
they are alive or dead'.
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