On April 19, 2026, Pope Leo XIV(Papa Leão XIV) paid a pastoral visit to the famous Catholic Marian Shrine in Muxima, Angola. This was the Pope's visit to Angola again after an interval of 16 years. The Pope recited the Rosary at the "Mama Muxima" square and delivered a speech to tens of thousands of believers.As an important part of his pastoral visit to Africa, the Pope reviewed the history of faith and suffering on this land, called for building a better and more inclusive world, and strengthened the spiritual bond between the Catholic Church, Angola, and the African continent. The Holy See delegation, the Angolan Catholic Bishops' Conference, and officials from the Bengo Provincial Government attended the event. Mr. Song Zhuoya, General Manager of the Africa Division, was invited as the group representative to witness this historic moment together.

The Pope visited the event site of the Catholic Marian Shrine in Muxima

Muxima, located in Bengo Province, Angola, is the largest Catholic Marian Shrine in sub-Saharan Africa,with a history of over 300 years and known as the "Land of Faith". This land, nestled along the Cuanza River and surrounded by vast grasslands, carries the spiritual sustenance of countless Catholic believers and attracts millions of pilgrims from Angola and around the world every year to make a devout pilgrimage.

The Pope visited the event site of the Catholic Marian Shrine in Muxima

The Our Lady of Muxima Shrine is undergoing a comprehensive reconstruction and upgrading project, aiming to build the largest Catholic Marian Shrine in Africa. The ritual platform of the pilgrimage square constructed by the group is the core religious ritual platform, which is the official main platform for holding national festivals,bishops’ Masses, Pope's Prayers and other major pastoral activities, and undertakes the highest standard public ritual function of the Catholic Church in Angola. The platform is located on the banks of the Cuanza River, facing the Pilgrimage Square and the statue of Christ the King. The main structure of the ritual platform has been completed and is expected to be delivered by the end of August 2026.

Rendering of the project at the Catholic Marian Shrine of Muxima

The current construction status of the project at the Catholic Marian Shrine of Muxima

To ensure thesuccessful and on-schedule delivery of the project, the project construction team has alway sadhered to the group's overseas development philosophy, pursued excellence,strived to build another high-quality project, and contributed to the construction of the landmark project of the Catholic Marian Shrine. At the same time, through the perfect performance of this major project, we have won the trust and praise of the local government, laying a solid foundation for the group's high-quality sustainable development overseas in the future.