Exactly one year after the death of Pope Francis, on April 21, 2026, Leo XIV paid tribute to the legacy he left the Church. During the flight taking him from Angola to Equatorial Guinea, Pope Leo also told journalists that he had not yet made a decision regarding the creation of new cardinals. And he called for respect for “universal rights,” particularly health and education, in Angola.
During the 1,500-kilometer flight, the Pontiff came to the rear of the aircraft to address the 67 journalists accompanying him throughout his African tour. Speaking extemporaneously in Italian, Leo XIV paid tribute to his predecessor, who “gave so much to the Church through his life, his witness, his words and his deeds.”
He praised his way of “truly living in closeness to the poorest, the least, the sick, children and the elderly” and thanked God for “the great gift of Francis’ life to the whole Church and to the entire world.”
The 267th pope cited in particular Francis’ call for universal brotherhood, and his promotion of “genuine respect for all men and women.” He also mentioned one of the key themes of the pontificate: the “message of mercy” professed by the Argentine pontiff from the moment of his election.
In this regard, Leo XIV recalled his homily of March 17, 2013, “when he preached on the woman caught in adultery and the way he spoke of the heart of God’s mercy, […] of that great love, of that forgiveness.”
No decision yet on new cardinals
The Pope then answered three questions from Angolan journalists. Responding to a query about the possibility of creating a cardinal from the southern African country – the last one, Cardinal Alexandre do Nascimento, having died in 2024 – the Pontiff emphasized that he needed to “consider the matter at a global level.”
He said he hoped to create new cardinals “for Africa and perhaps specifically for Angola in the future – I’m not saying in the near future – but a little further down the line.” He also assured that he had “not yet decided” on a date for creating new cardinals. There are now fewer than 120 electors under the age of 80, the threshold set by Paul VI.
Call for health and education in Angola
The Pontiff also revealed that during his visit he had discussed with the country’s president, João Lourenço, the issues of “health and education.” He expressed the hope that the State and the Catholic Church could collaborate “to improve services” and open “new hospitals and new facilities” for “the good of the people.”
Leo XIV also called on the Church to “promote universal rights.” In Kilamba on Sunday, a resident of Luanda told I.MEDIA that “Angola has developed significantly in terms of infrastructure, but socially speaking, people are poorer and face greater difficulties."
Finally, the Pope expressed his delight at having visited a “growing” Church in Angola, which is planning to “create new dioceses,” and remarked in passing that “in other parts of the world, the opposite is happening.” He encouraged evangelization, affirming that “the joy of believers is one of the best proclamations of the faith.”
