Pope Leo XIV has said that the elderly must not be treated simply as people in need of care, but as bearers of memory and wisdom whose voices deserve to be heard. Speaking during a visit to a nursing home in the Angolan city of Saurimo on Monday, the Pope said the way a nation treats its weakest members reveals the moral quality of its common life.

Leo was welcomed at the home by residents and staff during a brief stop in the north-eastern city, which is known as the centre of Angola’s diamond-mining region. He thanked those present for what he described as a faith-filled welcome, saying their reception had touched him personally and encouraged him in his ministry.

Reflecting on the character of the institution, the Pope noted that it is described locally as a lar — a home — and said he was grateful for the word itself. He expressed the hope that the residents would be able to live there in as much of a family atmosphere as possible, suggesting that the true dignity of such a place lies not only in the services it provides but in the spirit of love and belonging it fosters.

Leo then placed that idea in a more explicitly Christian frame. Recalling how Jesus loved to be in the homes of his friends, he said he liked to think that Christ also dwells in that house: present wherever people seek to love, help and forgive one another as brothers and sisters. He added that the Lord is likewise present wherever people pray together simply and humbly.

The Pope ended on a broader social note, saying that care for the weak is one of the clearest measures of a country’s moral health. But he insisted that the elderly should not be viewed only through the lens of dependency. Before all else, he said, they need to be listened to, because they preserve the wisdom of a people.

After the visit, Leo was due to continue to an open esplanade in Saurimo for the celebration of Mass. The city, established as a diocese by Pope Paul VI in 1975, was later raised to an archdiocese by Benedict XVI following his apostolic journey to Angola in 2009.