Tertius News is an AI-native newsroom: an AI model reads the linked source articles below and extracts what each outlet reported, so you can compare their coverage side by side. How this works →
Pope calls for more efforts to stop Ebola in DR Congo
During his Angelus address on August 23, 2026, Pope Leo XIV called on the international community to help contain the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which health officials warn is spreading exponentially. He also expressed closeness to victims of a mine collapse in the Central African Republic and remembered the 10th anniversary of a devastating earthquake in central Italy.
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday (August 23, 2026) called on the international community to help contain the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which health officials warn is spreading exponentially. Speaking during his Angelus prayer at St. Peter's Square, the pope said he often remembers the country in his prayers, particularly because of the spread of the epidemic, which he said is causing many victims. He encouraged a response from the international community that also involves local communities in prevention efforts, to save many human lives, as reported by four of the sources — Africa News, ACI Africa, Macau Business, and The Hindu — World.
The pope, who visited Africa in April, addressed the outbreak as the deadliest in the country's history, according to public health officials. The outbreak has killed thousands, and regions in the north and east have weak state presence, lack health infrastructure and are affected by armed groups, as noted by Macau Business and The Hindu. ACI Africa added that the outbreak was first declared in May 2026 and it has claimed close to 2,500 lives, citing a BBC report from August 21. The DRC is distributing a vaccine against the virus, according to ACI Africa.
Remembering Other Tragedies
During the same address, Pope Leo XIV expressed his closeness to the people of the Central African Republic mourning the victims of a mine collapse near Zamboye. Reports from Africa News and Macau Business and The Hindu indicate that a landslide at the gold mine on August 18 killed dozens, with many missing. ACI Africa reports that a landslide killed more than 100 workers, according to a BBC report. The exact toll is contested, with sources reporting "dozens" versus "more than 100." The pope offered a prayer for those who lost their lives, citing the need to support efforts to guarantee the safety and legality of mining sites.
Leo also cited the 10th anniversary of a major earthquake in central Italy that killed around 300 people and devastated Amatrice, with communities across Lazio, Umbria, and Marche affected, according to Africa News and others. He said he prays for the deceased and their families and for all the communities involved.
The pastor's reflection
Except for the humanitarian appeals, the pope's Angelus address also included a reflection on the Gospel of the day, in which Jesus asks his disciples about his identity and Peter confesses how. This reflection was covered solely by ACI Africa. During the sermon, he posed the personal question, "Who is Jesus for me, and what does his presence mean in my life?" He spoke about discovering whether Jesus is a merely great figure of history or the Christ of God, and he encouraged the faithful to remain open to an authentic relationship with Christ.
How each outlet told it
Africa News
Framing: Emphasizes the call for international response and the deadly nature of the outbreak. — Informative, focusing on the pope's statements and the broader humanitarian context.
Facts Included:
Pope Leo XIV called for an international response to the Ebola outbreak on Sunday.
Quote: 'I often think about the Democratic Republic of Congo, in particular because of the spread of the Ebola epidemic, which unfortunately is causing many victims. I encourage a response from the international community that also involves local communities in preventive work to save so many human lives.'
Pope offered prayers for victims of mine collapse in Zamboye, Central African Republic, with more than 100 reportedly dead.
Quote: 'I am also close to the population of the Central African Republic that mourns the victims of the collapse that occurred in a mine in Zamboye. May the Lord welcome those who have lost their lives and support the commitment to guarantee the safety and legality of mining sites.'
Pope remembered communities in central Italy ahead of Monday's 10th anniversary of the 6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Lazio, Umbria, and Marche, killing around 300.
Framing: Emphasizes the remembrance of victims of both Ebola and mining disaster, focusing on the pope's pastoral role. — Devotional and reflective, with a strong focus on the pope's religious message.
Facts Included:
Pope Leo XIV remembered victims of Ebola and mining disaster during Aug. 23 Angelus address.
Quote: 'In my prayers, I often remember the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially in light of the spread of the Ebola epidemic, which is sadly claiming many lives. I encourage on the part of the international community a response that also involves local communities in efforts of prevention, so that many human lives may be saved.'
Ebola outbreak first declared in May 2026, claiming close to 2,500 lives, according to Aug. 21 BBC report.
Country is distributing a vaccine; officials declared it deadliest outbreak in country's history.
On Aug. 18, landslide at gold mine near Zamboyé in western CAR buried and killed more than 100 workers, according to Aug. 19 BBC report.
Rescue efforts ongoing.
Pope's quote about mining: 'I am also close to the people of the Central African Republic, who are mourning the victims of the collapse at a mine in Zamboyé. May the Lord receive those who have lost their lives and sustain efforts to ensure safety and respect for the law at mining sites.'
Pope preached on the Gospel of the day, where Jesus asks about his identity and Peter confesses faith.
Quote: 'The question that is put to us each day — who is Jesus for me, and what does his presence mean in my life? — emerges especially in prayer and when we meditate on the Gospel.'
Quote: 'In our daily lives, in short, we can discover whether the Lord Jesus is for us merely a great figure of history … or the Christ of God, the One sent to bring us into the love of the Father and to transform our lives and the world in which we live.'
Pope encouraged faithful to 'remain open to an authentic relationship with Christ.'
Quote: 'Yet Jesus calls us to give a personal response, to know him more closely and to allow ourselves to be shaped by friendship with him through an ever new encounter. This may also ask us to follow unfamiliar paths and to make choices different from those we had imagined.'
Framing: Focuses on Pope's call for more efforts to stop Ebola, emphasizing action. — Urgent yet pastoral, reflecting the pope's concern for victims.
Facts Included:
Pope Leo XIV called on the international community Sunday to help contain Ebola in DRC, which health officials warn is spreading exponentially.
Quote: 'In my prayers I often remember the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially because of the spread of the Ebola epidemic, which unfortunately is causing many victims.'
Quote: 'I encourage a response from the international community that also involves local communities in efforts to save many human lives.'
Pope visited Africa in April.
The deadliest Ebola outbreak in DRC's history has killed thousands, hitting regions with weak state presence, lacking health infrastructure, and armed groups.
Expressed closeness to Central African Republic over mine collapse in Zamboye; landslide on Tuesday killed dozens, many missing.
Quote: 'May the Lord welcome all those who lost their lives, and support efforts to guarantee the safety and legality of mining sites.'
Cited 10th anniversary of earthquake in central Italy that killed around 300 people and devastated Amatrice.
Quote: 'I pray for the deceased and for their families, and for all the communities involved.'
Framing: Same as Macau Business, focusing on the call for more efforts to stop Ebola. — Neutral and factual, with a focus on the humanitarian response.
Facts Included:
UNICEF staff and airport workers receive an aircraft carrying medical supplies as authorities intensified efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain at Bunia National Airport.
Pope Leo XIV called on the international community on Sunday (August 23, 2026) to help contain the Ebola virus, which health officials warn is spreading exponentially.
Quote: 'In my prayers I often remember the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially because of the spread of the Ebola epidemic, which unfortunately is causing many victims.'
Quote: 'I encourage a response from the international community that also involves local communities in efforts to save many human lives.'
Pope visited Africa in April.
The deadliest Ebola outbreak in DRC's history has killed thousands, hitting regions with weak state presence, lacking health infrastructure, and armed groups.
Pope expressed closeness to Central African Republic over mine collapse; landslide on Tuesday (August 18) killed dozens, many missing.
Quote: 'May the Lord welcome all those who lost their lives, and support efforts to guarantee the safety and legality of mining sites.'
Cited 10th anniversary of earthquake in central Italy that killed around 300 and devastated Amatrice.
Quote: 'I pray for the deceased and for their families, and for all the communities involved.'
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimPope Leo XIV called on the international community on Sunday (August 23, 2026) to help contain the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
ClaimPope Leo XIV said: "In my prayers I often remember the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially because of the spread of the Ebola epidemic, which unfortunately is causing many victims."
ClaimPope Leo XIV said he encourages a response from the international community that also involves local communities in efforts to save many human lives from Ebola.
ClaimThe Ebola outbreak in the DRC has hit regions in the north and east where state presence is weak, health infrastructure is largely lacking, and numerous armed groups have sown decades of violence.
ClaimUNICEF staff and airport workers received an aircraft carrying medical supplies at Bunia National Airport in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, as authorities intensified efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak.
ClaimA landslide on Tuesday (August 18) at a gold mine near Zamboye in the Central African Republic, near the Cameroonian border, killed dozens of people, with many still missing.
ClaimOn Aug. 18, a landslide at a gold mine near Zamboyé in western Central African Republic buried and killed more than 100 workers, according to an Aug. 19 BBC report.
ClaimPope Leo XIV said: "May the Lord welcome all those who lost their lives, and support efforts to guarantee the safety and legality of mining sites."
ClaimPope Leo XIV cited the 10th anniversary on Monday of a major earthquake in central Italy that killed around 300 people and devastated the city of Amatrice.
ClaimPope Leo XIV said: "I pray for the deceased and for their families, and for all the communities involved" regarding the central Italy earthquake anniversary.
ClaimDuring his Angelus, Pope Leo XIV preached on the Gospel of the day, in which Jesus asks his disciples about his identity and Peter confesses his faith in Jesus as the Son of God.
ClaimPope Leo XIV said: "The question that is put to us each day — who is Jesus for me, and what does his presence mean in my life? — emerges especially in prayer and when we meditate on the Gospel."
ClaimPope Leo XIV said: "In our daily lives, in short, we can discover whether the Lord Jesus is for us merely a great figure of history … or the Christ of God, the One sent to bring us into the love of the Father and to transform our lives and the world in which we live."
ClaimPope Leo XIV said: "Yet Jesus calls us to give a personal response, to know him more closely and to allow ourselves to be shaped by friendship with him through an ever new encounter. This may also ask us to follow unfamiliar paths and to make choices different from those we had imagined."