Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass at a stadium in the former Equatorial Guinean capital on Thursday, April 23. During the homily, he expressed his hope that the circumstances surrounding the recent death of Father Fortunato Nsue Esono, the vicar general of the Archdiocese of Malabo, "will be fully clarified." Some media outlets have suggested the priest was murdered. Nevertheless, the Pontiff warned against "speculation or rash conclusions."
At the beginning of his homily, the Pontiff offered his "heartfelt condolences" to the members of the Archdiocese of Malabo and to the family of Father Nsue Esono, who died under unexplained circumstances just days before the Pope's arrival in Equatorial Guinea.
"I invite you to live this moment of sadness with a spirit of faith, and I trust that, without being swayed by speculation or rash conclusions, the circumstances surrounding his death will be fully clarified," he said. He added that he was offering the Mass for the deceased priest.
The crowd that had gathered in the stadium, as well as Equatorial Guinea's president, Teodoro Obiang, widely applauded the Pope's gesture.
The priest had been involved in preparing for the Pontiff’s visit. “The preparation for the Pope’s visit is not about human power or the organizational capacities people may have, but rather about trusting in the Lord and in His word so that everything may go well,” he had said on March 5 during a Mass, according to Aciafrica.
God’s love is stronger than death
Among the themes Leo XIV touched on in his homily was how, “through the actions of Jesus, the Redeemer, [God] brings to fulfilment what he has always done: giving life.” This is both earthly life and eternal life for those who believe in him. “He creates the world, saves it, and loves it forever,” the Pope said. “Do I trust that his love is stronger than my death?”
In the light of Jesus’ suffering and death, our own is given new meaning and hope. “By deciding to believe in him, each of us chooses between inevitable despair and the hope that God offers. Our hunger for life and justice is then satisfied by Jesus’ words: ‘The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh’ (v. 51).”
Thus, the untimely death of Father Nsue Esono doesn’t stop perturbing us, but has meaning. “Our problems do not disappear in the Lord’s presence, but they are illuminated. Just as every cross finds redemption in Jesus, so too the story of our lives finds its meaning in the Gospel,” Pope Leo explained.
A sudden and unexplained death
According to a press release published by the Archdiocese of Malabo, Father Nsue Esono was found dead in his residence on April 17, just four days before the Pontiff arrived in the country. He was only 39 years old. So far, neither the archdiocese nor the government has specified the cause of his sudden passing.
An African cardinal present for the papal visit told I.Media he had been assured the priest died of natural causes. However, several media outlets suspect the priest was murdered. They note that he had previously been critical of the authorities, with some pointing the finger at the government.
When contacted by I.Media, an African diplomatic source deemed it unlikely that President Obiang would compromise himself with involvement in such an act, given that the papal visit serves as a “major showcase” to promote his country.
