Pope Leo XIV visits the elderly at a care home in the Angolan city of Saurimo, and recalls that the quality of a nation is seen in how it cares for the weakest.
By Devin Watkins Pope Leo XIV flew to the northeastern city of Saurimo on Monday morning, as he began the third day of his Apostolic Journey to Angola. After landing, the Pope traveled to a care home for the elderly run by the Angolan government. Known by residents as “Lar,” which means “home,” the facility hosts 62 elderly people, of whom 26 are men and 36 are women. Speaking to the elderly residents, Pope Leo expressed his joy for their “faith-filled welcome” and shared his hopes that they may truly live in a family atmosphere worthy of the care home’s informal name. He recalled that Jesus loved to visit the home of His friends, spending time with Peter’s mother-in-law and often visiting the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in Capernaum. In this care home, too, said the Pope, Jesus dwells with its elderly residents, especially when they forgive one another and seek reconciliation after a small offense. “He dwells among you whenever you try to love one another and help one another as brothers and sisters,” he said. “When all of you, or even some of you, pray together with simplicity and humility, He is here among you.” Pope Leo XIV thanked the Angolan authorities for supporting initiatives such as the Lar care home. “The care of the weakest is a very important sign of the quality of the social life of a nation,” he said. “Let us not forget that the elderly are not only in need of assistance, but first and foremost need to be listened to, because they preserve the wisdom of a people.” Pope Leo concluded his brief address by praying for the elderly residents and entrusting them to the care of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Church’s close relationship with Saurimo care home According to Georgina Mwandumba, the care home’s director, the local Catholic Church maintains an excellent relationship with those who live there, offering them spiritual assistance and financial contributions to support the facility. Many residents cultivate small gardens as a way to relax and to provide for their own sustenance, she told Vatican News’ Dulce Araújo. They often attend Mass together at the home, even though some are not Catholic. Asked about her greatest desire for the elderly in Angola, Ms. Mwandumba said she hopes that the “absurd practice of witchcraft” may be overcome, so that families will cease abandoning their elderly parents in the name of superstitious beliefs.