Pope Leo has urged Cameroon’s government to root out corruption and resist “the whims of the rich and powerful”, in a forceful speech given in the presence of Biya, who has led the country since 1982.
Leo also called for an end to Cameroon’s simmering Anglophone conflict, which has killed thousands.
“It is time to examine our conscience and take a bold leap forward,” he told Biya, Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute and other leaders.
“In order for peace and justice to prevail, the chains of corruption – which disfigure authority and strip it of its credibility – must be broken,” Leo said in an unusually direct speech for a papal trip overseas.
“Hearts must be set free from an idolatrous thirst for profit.”
Biya listened to the pope’s speech without visible reaction.
His government denies accusations of corruption and human rights abuses and says the stability he brings allows Cameroon to avoid the kind of conflict seen elsewhere in the region, including in war-hit Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic.
Earlier, Pope Leo was greeted by crowds of supporters and top officials after landing in Cameroon on the second leg of his 10-day tour through Africa.
Leo has 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.
That has made him a target this week for criticism from Trump, who reiterated his comments in a social media post on Tuesday, despite a widespread backlash from US Christians across the political spectrum.
