Catholic Pontiff Pope Leo XIV has urged young Africans to resist the lure of emigration and to place their talents at the service of their own countries, warning that corruption and the flight of skilled workers remain among the gravest obstacles to the continent’s flourishing. He made the appeal during his visit to Cameroon, where he addressed students and later celebrated Mass in Douala.
Speaking at the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaoundé on 17 April, the Pope acknowledged the understandable desire to seek a better future abroad, but said the first duty of the young should be to contribute to the common good at home.
He encouraged students to use the education they are receiving for the benefit of their fellow citizens rather than seeing migration as the only path to prosperity.
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