South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on November 8, 2025, urging global solidarity and the spirit of Ubuntu to address inequality, conflicts, and environmental degradation. The discussions highlighted South Africa's G20 Presidency theme of solidarity, equality, and sustainability. Ramaphosa extended an invitation for the Pope to visit South Africa.
On Saturday, November 8, 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa held a meeting with Pope Leo XIV in Vatican City, accompanied by International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola. The encounter focused on pressing global issues, including humanitarian aid, climate justice, emergency response, and peacebuilding.
In his address, Ramaphosa emphasized that humanity faces immense challenges, where 'it seems easier to fund wars than to invest in peace.' He noted that conflicts across the globe are dividing societies and inflicting untold destruction, while economic inequality continues to rise, stifling opportunity and hindering shared prosperity. The planet, he said, is strained by current modes of production and consumption, threatening future generations.
Ramaphosa called for a new global spirit through solidarity and multilateralism, stating that these challenges 'cannot be resolved by nations acting alone.' He linked this to South Africa's upcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit later in November, themed “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” guided by the philosophy of Ubuntu, which recognizes shared humanity. Priorities include tackling inequality, food security, and the social, economic, and environmental development of Africa and the Global South.
Highlighting South Africa's nearly 4 million Catholics, who represent a cross-section of its multicultural society, Ramaphosa commended the role of faith-based communities in the struggle for democracy, human rights, and social justice. He praised Pope Leo XIV's election following the passing of Pope Francis, which provided 'hope and encouragement,' and aligned the Church's calls for international financial reforms with South Africa's G20 agenda, noting that many African countries spend more on debt servicing than on education or healthcare.
Ramaphosa stressed consistent conscience in conflicts from Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Ukraine and Palestine, drawing on South Africa's heritage of dialogue and reconciliation to facilitate peace. He joined the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference in inviting the Pope to visit South Africa, concluding that 'our freedom, our security and our prosperity are bound together.'
