By Joshua McElwee VATICAN CITY, April 13 (Reuters) - Pope Leo https://www.reuters.com/world/pope/
Pope Leo, in Algeria, blasts 'neocolonial' conflicts after Trump criticism
Pope Leo's Africa Tour and Global Reactions
By Joshua McElwee
Pope Leo Condemns 'Neocolonial' Powers
ALGIERS, April 13 (Reuters) - Pope Leo https://www.reuters.com/world/pope/ blasted violations of international law by "neocolonial" world powers in a forceful speech on Monday during an Africa tour, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump's https://www.reuters.com/world/us/donald-trump/ direct attack nL1N40W00Q on the leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church.
Leo is travelling to Africa "as a witness to the peace and hope that the world so ardently desires," he told political leaders in Algeria, his first stop on a whirlwind four-nation trip.
"The future belongs (to) those who do not allow themselves to be blinded by power or wealth," the first U.S. pope said. "Africa knows all too well that people and organizations that dominate others destroy the world."
Pope Leo's Recent Criticisms
Leo, originally from Chicago, did not single out specific countries for criticism, but he has emerged nL8N40L06Y as an outspoken critic of the Iran war https://www.reuters.com/world/iran/ in recent weeks and decried the "madness of war" nL8N40U0B8 in a peace appeal on Saturday.
Trump's Response and Ongoing Tensions
Trump, in an apparent response to the pope's statements about the conflict and the White House's hard-line immigration policies, said late on Sunday that Leo was "terrible nL8N40W027", in remarks that drew immediate rebuke from U.S. believers.
Pope Leo's Commitment to Peace
Leo told Reuters nL8N40W0FT on the papal flight from Rome to Algiers on Monday morning that he planned to continue speaking out against war, despite Trump's comments.
"I don't want to get into a debate with him," said the pope. "I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships."
Pope Decries Violations of International Law
POPE DECRIES VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW
Leo, aged 70, relatively young and in good health for a pope, is undertaking one of the most complicated papal trips arranged in decades.
Scope of the Papal Visit
It will take him to 11 cities and towns across Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, traversing nearly 18,000 km (11,185 miles) over 18 flights.
On Monday in Algeria, the pope urged leaders in the country to build a society based on principles of justice and solidarity.
"Today, this is more urgent than ever in the face of continuous violations of international law and neocolonial tendencies," he said.
Focus on Africa
Leo is making the multi-nation tour "to help turn the world's attention to Africa", Cardinal Michael Czerny, a senior Vatican official and close adviser to Leo, told Reuters.
More than 20% of the world's Catholics live in Africa, according to Vatican statistics. The three sub-Saharan nations the pope is visiting have populations where more than half identify as Catholic.
Algeria, though, is an overwhelmingly Muslim country with under 10,000 Catholics among its population of some 48 million people. This is the first time it will host a Catholic pope.
Pope to Give 25 Speeches on Multitude of Topics
POPE TO GIVE 25 SPEECHES ON MULTITUDE OF TOPICS
Leo's tour is the 24th by a pope to Africa since the late 1960s nL8N40I0HU.
Key Issues and Events
He is expected to touch on many topics in 25 planned speeches over 10 days, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni told journalists on Friday, given that the four nations face diverse issues.
Likely topics include exploitation of natural resources, Catholic-Muslim dialogue and the dangers of political corruption, said Bruni.
Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea have presidents who have been in power for decades and have been accused of human rights abuses, which they deny nL8N40K24T.
Major Mass in Cameroon
The biggest event of the itinerary will likely come in Cameroon on Friday, when the Vatican said some 600,000 people are expected for a Mass in the coastal city of Douala.
Pope Leo's Multilingual Approach and Religious Visits
Comfortable in several languages, Leo is expected to speak Italian, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish during the trip.
After speaking to Algeria's political leaders on Monday, Leo will visit the Great Mosque of Algiers in only his second visit to a mosque as pope.
He will travel on Tuesday to Annaba on Algeria's northeast coast, for a visit to the ruins of the ancient town of Hippo.
Significance of Hippo and St. Augustine
The site has special meaning for Leo, who is a member of the Augustinian religious order. The order is inspired by the teachings of fourth-century St. Augustine of Hippo, a major figure in the early Church.
(Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Alvise Armellini, Robbie Corey-Boulet, William Maclean)
