Pope Leo meets Cameroon President Biya

Pope Leo met with Cameroon’s 93-year-old President Paul Biya, urging decisive action to root out corruption and calling for an end to the country’s ongoing Anglophone conflict. The meeting comes amid the pope’s increasingly vocal stance on global issues and renewed criticism during his African tour.

Bernat Parera/Reuters

16 April 2026 at 02:30:56

Pope Leo XIV shakes hands with Cameroonian President Paul Biya after delivering a speech directed at Biya and other national leaders, urging governments to root out corruption and resist "the whims of the rich and powerful", at the Presidential Palace in Yaounde, during his apostolic journey to Cameroon, April 15, 2026.

Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters

Pope Leo on Wednesday (April 15) met with 93 year-old Cameroon's President Paul Biya and urged the government to root out corruption.

Leo, who will mark one year as pope in May, kept a relatively low profile for a pope in his first 10 months but in recent weeks has become outspoken on a range of issues, notably the Iran war.

The Pope was attacked overnight by U.S. President Donald Trump for a second time during his 10-day tour of four African countries, also called for an end to Cameroon's simmering Anglophone conflict, which has killed thousands.

-Bernat Parera/Reuters