AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
Pope Leo XIV is heading to Africa. The continent, already home to more than a fifth of the Catholic Church's global membership, is where the church says it's growing the fastest. Leo will touch down in Algeria tomorrow and continue on to Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea over 11 days. Father Emmanuel Katongole was ordained in the Archdiocese of Kampala in Uganda. He teaches theology and peace studies at the University of Notre Dame, and he joins us now. Father, good morning.
EMMANUEL KATONGOLE: Good morning, Ayesha.
RASCOE: How are you reading the significance of Pope Leo's trip to Africa?
KATONGOLE: I think this is a very, very significant trip to visit four countries, one in North Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa, Western Africa, a point to (ph) the whole diversity of the entire continent. But also they represent the many different challenges that the entire continent is going through. Cameroon - there is a civil war going on for 10 years, the environmental degradation, extractive mining in Angola, in Equatorial Guinea, the social challenges of crushing poverty in many places like in Angola. So he's really drawing the world's attention to the cries, the sacrifice of Africa, bringing a message of peace and reconciliation and hope.
RASCOE: What are you hearing from Catholics in Africa ahead of the pope's visit? How are they thinking about him and how he will be received?
KATONGOLE: What I'm hearing from Catholics in Africa is the sense of excitement that the pope, early on in his ministry, is going to Africa and is going to some significant countries. Like, for example, when he visits Cameroon, he's visiting and is going to be welcomed by this 93-year-old president that has been in power almost 40 years, 42 years. There is a civil war going on. This is not a trip that is going to legitimize that kind of regime, but kind of really point to the efforts of peace. So among other things, he's going to participate in a peace meeting with the local leaders. So there is a sense that we are not alone. The Vicar of Christ is coming. Our efforts at peace are not in vain.
RASCOE: Leo XIV is from the Augustinian order and has described himself as a son of St. Augustine. St. Augustine was born in Algeria. Talk to me about the Pope's connection to Algeria and St. Augustine.
KATONGOLE: Well, for over 12 years, he was of the Augustinians. This is an order that was founded under the patronage, inspiration of this great African St. Augustine, who did a lot in terms of struggling for the unity of the church. So for Pope Leo, this is very important. His own motto is drawn from St. Augustine's words that in the one, we are one. So he's making a pilgrimage, retracing his spiritual roots, almost asking for guidance and inspiration from St. Augustine. But, of course also Algeria is predominantly Muslim country. Christians are a minority. The pope is going to go to a mosque and speak to religious leaders and political leaders, really highlighting the significance of interfaith dialogue.
RASCOE: On the global scale, there does seem to be a widening divide between the pope and some world leaders, namely President Trump. In his Easter address last week, Pope Leo said...
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POPE LEO XIV: (Non-English language spoken).
RASCOE: "Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace." He's spoken out against the Trump administration using Christianity to justify the Iran war and reportedly canceled a July 4 visit to the U.S. Does all of this amount to a new political direction for the Catholic Church?
KATONGOLE: I don't think it's a new political direction. Pope Leo here is actually standing in the footsteps of a number of his predecessors, Pope Francis, who issued one day of peace, a message of nonviolence as a style of politics, Benedict, who was always calling for peace and dialogue and the spirit of nonviolence. And John Paul II was very, very even more explicit when he said in one statement, violence is evil. Violence is unacceptable as a solution to problems because he said violence is a lie, for it goes against the truth of our faith, the truth of our humanity. Violence destroys what it claims to defend - the dignity, the life, the freedom of human beings. So Pope Leo is standing in that tradition.
Where I think you can connect this to his trip to Africa, he's working in these marginalized places where not only civil war or violence but other forms of dehumanization and poverty, civil strife, unemployment seem to be against human dignity. So I think he's giving a consistent message that the gospel is about life, it's about human flourishing and violence is a lie. It destroys that dignity.
RASCOE: That's Father Emmanuel Katongole. Father, thank you so much for speaking with us.
KATONGOLE: Well, thank you very much, Ayesha, and I hope you have a nice day. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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