Singing, dancing, laughter, and streets alive with the sound of percussion — on Monday, the city of Saurimo opened its arms to Pope Leo XIV with immense jubilation. Just as he has in the first stages of this long trip — in Algeria, in Angola, and in Cameroon — the Pope is welcomed with festive joy across an African continent that breathes music.
When he arrived at a home for the elderly in Angola on Monday, April 20, in Saurimo, a guard of honor was waiting for the Pope. But there was no comparison to strict military protocol. On both sides of the aisle, joyful and proud women in colorful traditional dresses danced while waving white scarves.
Their celebration didn't begin when they spotted the successor of Peter's car; an hour earlier, these women were already swaying tirelessly to the beat in a joyful, natural rhythm.
Similarly, when the Pope stepped into the residence's garden, the crowd greeted his arrival in freshly ironed shirts, golden tunics, shining shoes, and shimmering scarves. Above all, they chanted a hymn with their entire being, their bodies moving to the rhythm of the drums. Pope Leo XIV listened, waited, smiled, and even bobbed his head, letting himself be carried away by the tempo.
A deeply rooted culture of celebration
It's a scene that repeats itself everywhere the Pope goes. In Africa, people put on their finest clothes and dance. In large gatherings where the powerful voices of hundreds of choir members shake the earth, the entire crowd communes with the music, swaying to traditional tunes.
"Dance in Africa isn't a superficial outward display; it has been deeply ingrained in the culture since time immemorial, rooted in animist practices of connecting with nature," explained Alberto Magnani, an Italian journalist who specializes in African affairs. "It's interesting to see that Catholics also live their liturgy through this inculturation," he added.
"It's a party" in the streets
Ever since the Pope arrived in Central Africa, "it's been a party," noted Ada, a resident of the Kilamba neighborhood in Luanda, Angola's capital. She excitedly pointed out the massive turnout of her fellow citizens on Sunday.
"At the airport, in the streets, right here, there are so many of us... you can see that the people are happy to welcome the Pope!" she said.
In these crowds, countless people wear the pontiff's image on their tunics or hats as a sign of their devotion. This affection was clear when one man shouted as the popemobile passed through Douala, Cameroon's largest city: "That's my Holy Father, that's my Holy Father, he's here!"
To welcome the head of the Catholic Church, Africa is thinking big. "It's going to be the grand finale here," predicted a young man named Desmond during Pope Leo XIV's final Mass in Yaoundé, Cameroon's capital.
"Look at this crowd. People left their homes and gathered by the millions. They wouldn't have come if they didn't love the Pope; they wouldn't be here," emphasized another attendee, Patrick.
Like his predecessors, Pope Leo XIV was also treated to small, popular rituals at the apostolic nunciature in Luanda, where he was staying. Groups waited for him, singing and swaying every time he came and went. Even after he disappeared inside the building, the faithful stayed a little longer to dance. Women rocked their babies, children wiggled around, and everyone kept an eye on the windows, just in case.
They lingered because they wanted to catch a glimpse of the Pope, but also because joy and celebration are woven into the continent's DNA. Just as they did on the esplanade in Saurimo, the crowds kept right on dancing beneath the stage long after the Pope had left.
