On April 17, 2026, during his homily at the Japoma Stadium in Douala, in front of 120,000 people, Pope Leo XIV challenged Cameroon on the situation of its youth. According to Vincent Sosthène Fouda, a political scientist, the Sovereign Pontiff made an incisive political diagnosis of the country, placing young people at the center of a decisive moral battle. In particular, he offered young Africans a model of resistance and dignity by citing Blessed Floribert Bwana Chui, a young Congolese customs officer who died for refusing corruption.
This homily resonates as a call for national refoundation.
The Pope opened his homily with a poignant question taken from John 6: "See this hungry crowd... What are you going to do?" For the Pope, this question is not a simple abstract meditation, but a direct question to a country where the majority of young people remain the most vulnerable and forgotten category. He addresses not only the rulers, but also the teachers and the young people themselves, encouraging them not to give up.
At the heart of his message, Pope Leo XIV stressed that "the multiplication of loaves and fishes takes place in sharing." In a country where wealth tends to circulate vertically, this phrase denounces an organized scarcity and structural hunger. The miracle, according to him, lies not in the sky, but in justice and the equitable sharing of resources.
Speaking directly to African youth in English, the Pope declared: "Dear young people… multiply your talents through the faith, perseverance, and friendship that inspire you." He insisted that young people are not the margin, but the matrix, the actors of transformation. He warned them against violence and corruption, urging them not to give in to discouragement and distrust. For the Pope, the poverty of young people is a scandal in a rich country, not due to a lack of resources, but due to a lack of justice.
He concluded by recalling that their treasure lies in their values: faith, family, hospitality and work.
