A lmost a year after his election, Pope Leo XIV made his first visit to Africa, the longest international trip of his tenure so far. The visit is heavy with symbolism at a time of global unsettlement, one during which the stature and importance of the pope extends far beyond the church. I spoke with Father Ambroise Tine, formerly secretary general of Caritas Senegal, and currently of the diocese of Thiès in Senegal, about the significance of the papal visit. An Africa – and her diaspora – growing in importance Crowds gathered in Kilamba, Angola, for a mass lead by Pope Leo XIV. Photograph: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters While the number of Catholics has been increasing globally in recent years, the concentration of growth has been in Africa and the Americas. More than half of the increase in 2022-23 was in Africa, according to the latest figures from Agenzia Fides, the information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies.…