Pope appeals for international aid for Ebola victims in DRC

By Devin Watkins

As he prayed the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV recalled the ongoing outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“In my prayers, I often remember the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly because of the spread of the Ebola epidemic, which is unfortunately claiming many lives,” he said.

He appealed for the international community to respond to the outbreak.

“I encourage a response from the international community that also involves local communities in prevention efforts, in order to save many human lives,” said the Pope.

Over 2,500 people have died so far out of 5,300 confirmed cases of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which currently has no approved treatment or vaccine.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak an epidemic in May 2026 after cases were reported in the DRC and Uganda.

DRC’s health minister said the country has received more than 16,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine which has been effective against other strains of Ebola.

Efforts to halt the spread of the virus have been impeded by an armed conflict between government forces and armed groups that control the main cities where the outbreak is concentrated.

Pope Leo XIV during the Angelus prayer   (@Vatican Media) {"@context": "http://schema.org","@type": "ImageObject","contentUrl": "https://www.vaticannews.va/content/dam/vaticannews/agenzie/images/srv/2026/08/23/2026-08-23-angelus/1787479497305.JPG/_jcr_content/renditions/cq5dam.thumbnail.cropped.750.422.jpeg","creditText": "Vatican News","height": "750","width": "422"} Prayers for mining victims in the CAR

Separately, Pope Leo XIV prayed for the victims of a mining accident in the Central African Republic.

“I am also close to the people of the Central African Republic, who are mourning the victims of the collapse that occurred at a mine in Zamboyé,” he said. “May the Lord receive those who lost their lives and sustain efforts to ensure safety and legality at mining sites.”

Over 100 people were killed on August 18 when a landslide hit an open-pit gold mine in Zamboye.

The government said the site was already closed before the incident.