Africa-Press – Angola. The Minister of State and Head of the Military Office of the President of the Republic, Francisco Pereira Furtado, acknowledged on Wednesday in Luanda that, in general, the multisectoral commission for Pope Leo XIV’s pastoral visit to Angola fulfilled its role.
After witnessing the loading of the Popemobiles at the Luanda Military Air Base, for their return to Ciampino, in Rome (Italy), he told the press that a preliminary assessment will be made, with the final report scheduled for next week.
Francisco Furtado informed that the return flight of the IL-76 aircraft is scheduled for midnight, with a stopover in the city of Annaba, in northern Algeria.
The source considered it premature to advance to a global evaluation of the mission, emphasizing that the assessment should be done comprehensively.
Still, the Minister of State admitted that, in general, the commission fulfilled its role.
The official stated that the final report should include detailed data on the logistical operation, namely air transport using aircraft and helicopters, the amount of resources mobilized, the volume of fuel consumed, and the costs involved.
Regarding the incident involving a citizen who tried to approach the Popemobile, Francisco Furtado clarified that the case is being analyzed by the competent authorities, ruling out any scenario of an attack.
According to the official, it was an act motivated by religious enthusiasm, although he acknowledged flaws in the vehicle’s external security, which allowed the individual to get close.
Regarding a possible arrest, he referred inquiries to the competent authorities, reiterating that the situation is not a cause for alarm and should not be the subject of speculation.
The Holy Father’s visit to Angola (from the 18th to the 21st of this month) was marked by a meeting with the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, as well as with members of the Executive, civil society, and the diplomatic corps.
On the religious front, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass in the municipality of Kilamba, in Luanda, and led the recitation of the rosary at the Sanctuary of Muxima, in the province of Icolo e Bengo, moments that mobilized thousands of Catholic faithful.
The agenda also included a trip to the province of Lunda-Sul, in the east of the country, where he presided over an open-air Mass and visited a nursing home, in an act of closeness to the most vulnerable segments of the population, in the city of Saurimo.
Pope Leo XIV also met with the religious community at the Church of Our Lady of Fatima in Luanda.
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