Douala, Cameroon – Physical food is not enough, the soul needs the nourishment of the Eucharist, which sustains us in times of fear and suffering, Pope Leo XIV said Friday at a Mass in Douala, Cameroon.
Leading mass for more than 120,000 people at the Japoma stadium in Cameroon’s economic capital, the Pope said in his homily that Jesus’ miracle of multiplying the loaves and fishes was a sign that he came to serve with love, not dominance.
Leo said, “The miracle shows us not only how God provides the bread of life to humanity, but how we can share this sustenance with all men and women who, like us, hunger for peace, freedom and justice.”
“Every act of solidarity and forgiveness, every good effort, becomes a morsel of bread for humanity in need of care,” the Pope said.
“Yet this alone is not enough: the food that nourishes the body must, with equal charity, also be nourishment for the soul – a nourishment that preserves our conscience and keeps us steadfast in the dark hours of fear and amid the shadow of suffering. This food is Christ himself, who always gives abundant sustenance to his Church and strengthens us on our journey by giving us his eucharistic body,” he said.
Leo celebrated Mass in French in Douala on his third day in Cameroon. On April 18, he will celebrate Mass in Yaoundé, the country’s capital, before departing for Angola – the third country of his apostolic journey in Africa.
In his sermon, which was delivered mostly in French, the Pope reflected on the miracle of the loaves and fishes and compared the crowds present in the Gospel to those attending Mass.
“The Good News we have heard (John 6:1-15) is the word of salvation for all humanity. This Good News is proclaimed today throughout the world; for the Church in Cameroon, it resonates as a providential declaration of God’s love and of our union,” he said.
Describing the scene in the Gospel, Pope Leo focused on the crowds and lack of food: “Jesus asks us today, just as he asked his disciples then: How will you solve this problem? Look at all these hungry people, weighed down with fatigue. What will you do?”
The Pope stressed that this question concerns everyone: “It is asked of fathers and mothers who care for their families. It is directed to the shepherds of the Church, who care for the Lord’s flock, and also to those who bear social and political responsibility for people and seek their well-being. Christ asks this question to the powerful and the weak, the rich and the poor, the young and the old, for we all hunger in the same way.”
He added, “Our needs remind us that we are creatures.” “We need to eat to live. We are not God: but where is God in the face of people’s hunger?”
Turning to Christ’s response, Leo outlines the meaning of thanksgiving and sharing: “Waiting for our answers, Jesus gave his answer: ‘Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those sitting; and the fishes, as much as they wanted.’ By blessing the little food that existed and sharing it with all those who were hungry, a serious problem was solved.”
He said that the miracle is that “if bread is given to everyone, it is for everyone. If it is taken not from the hand that takes away, but from the hand that gives, then there is bread for everyone.”
Pointing to the celebration of the Mass, the Pope described its transformative power as “a source of renewed faith, because Jesus becomes present among us. The sacrament of the Eucharist does not merely revive a distant memory; it brings a ‘companionship’ that transforms us because it sanctifies us.”
“This very altar, around which we gather for the Eucharist, becomes a proclamation of hope amid the trials of history and the injustices we see all around us. It is a sign of God’s love; in Christ, the Father invites us to share what we have, in order to increase it in ecclesial fellowship,” Leo said.
Switching to English, Pope Leo addressed the youth, asking them to, “Be the first faces and hands that bring the bread of life to your neighbors, offering them the food of knowledge and freeing them from all that does not nourish them, but rather obscures good will and deprives them of their dignity.”
Recognizing the realities of poverty, he issued a warning against violence and corruption, urging them not to be “distrustful and discouraged” and to “reject every form of abuse or violence, which deceives by promising easy gains but hardens the heart and makes it insensitive.”
He said, “Don’t forget that your people are richer than this land, because your treasure lies in your values: faith, family, hospitality and work.”
this was the story Originally published by ACI StampaItalian-language sister service to EWTN News. It was translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
