Pope Leo XIV visits Muxima shrine in Angola tied to the slave trade.

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass near Luanda and planned to lead a Rosary at the Sanctuary of Mama Muxima, a Catholic shrine on the Kwanza River that was a hub in the trans‑Atlantic slave trade.

Pope Leo XIV opened a day of events in Angola by celebrating Mass for an estimated 100,000 people near Luanda and urging Angolans to confront corruption. He called for a "culture of justice and sharing" as he addressed wounds left by war and exploitation. Later in the day he was scheduled to go to the Sanctuary of Mama Muxima on the Kwanza River. The shrine is an important Catholic pilgrimage site that also has a long and painful history tied to the slave trade. Key details: - The pope celebrated Mass outside Luanda and spoke publicly about corruption and social justice. - He was to lead the Rosary at the Sanctuary of Mama Muxima, about 110 kilometers south of the capital. - The Church of Our Lady of Muxima was built by Portuguese colonizers in the late 16th century and became a site where enslaved Africans were gathered and baptized before being sent on to the Americas. - Scholars and historians note the Catholic Church’s historical links to colonial-era papal policies, and the Vatican repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery in 2023 while not formally rescinding the original bulls cited in that history. Summary: The visit combines a pastoral program with a stop at a shrine whose history is closely connected to the trans‑Atlantic slave trade. Genealogical research cited in reports shows the pope’s American ancestors included both enslaved people and slaveholders, a detail some observers say adds resonance to the trip. The pope’s Rosary at Muxima was the next scheduled event. Undetermined at this time is whether the visit will lead to any formal Vatican statements about those historical ties.