Saint Joseph Catholic Church

Pope Leo XIV met with students and professors at the Catholic University of Central Africa (video) and told them that no society can “flourish unless it is grounded in upright consciences, formed in the truth.”

“The three parishes first gained state registration in the 1990s,” Forum 18 reported. “Like all religious communities that wanted to continue to exist under the new Religion Law that came into force in July 2024, they were forced to seek re-registration. Officials of Brest Regional Executive Committee rejected their applications in 2025 and lodged the liquidation suits to court.”

The Eastern European nation of 9.5 million (map) is 82% Christian (63% Orthodox, 17% Catholic). An autocratic president, Alexander Lukashenko, has led the nation since 1994.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, sent a message in Pope Leo’s name to a meeting of Italian Church officials devoted to abuse prevention.

The Pope “encouraged those present to continue along this path of dialogue and to bring the same message and dream to others, to Muslims, and to all those who do not understand but can learn to see the beauty of fraternity, bringing great benefit to all of Cameroon,” according to Vatican News, the news agency of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication.

The central African nation of 31.8 million (map) is 58% Christian (28% Catholic), 22% Muslim, and 19% ethnic religionist.