Pope Leo XIV prayed today for the victims of the floods in Benguela and, in his first speech after arriving in the early afternoon, stated that Angolans possess treasures that cannot be sold or stolen.
The Pope, who spoke in excellent Portuguese with a slight Brazilian accent, delivered his address in the protocol hall of the Presidency of the Republic of Angola, following an intervention by President João Lourenço. He said he came “as a pilgrim who seeks the signs of God’s passing through this land that He loves.”
Leo XIV offered a prayer for the victims of the heavy rains and floods that struck Benguela province, expressing solidarity with the families who lost their homes. “I also know that you, Angolans, are united in a great chain of solidarity in favor of those affected,” he emphasized, adding that the Angolan people “possess treasures that cannot be sold or stolen.”
Read more about this topic: Angola: death toll has risen to 19 in Benguela due to floods
“In particular, you possess a joy that not even the most adverse circumstances have managed to extinguish,” he highlighted—a joy “that also knows pain, indignation, disappointments, and defeats” and which “resists and will reign among those who keep their hearts and minds free from the deception of wealth.”
The flash floods and heavy rains recorded last weekend in Benguela caused 19 deaths, and thousands were forced to leave their homes, many of which collapsed. Social infrastructure in the education, water, electricity, road, bridge, and railway sectors was affected.
The provincial government of Benguela stated that, due to the calamitous situation resulting from the collapse of the protection dike on the left bank of the Cavaco River, between Camalonga and Seta, “extremely serious damage was recorded in several neighborhoods.”
