Pope Leo XIV is set to make history this April, becoming the first pontiff ever to visit Algeria. The trip forms part of a wider African tour, taking him to Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon from 13–23 April, and marks his first major overseas trip of 2026.
Leo, aged 70, was elected in May last year to succeed the late Pope Francis as head of the 1.4-billion-member Church, and has so far made only one overseas trip, visiting Türkiye and Lebanon in November and December 2025 on a journey originally planned for Francis.
However, he was the target of an unusual, direct attack from President Donald Trump late on Sunday (12 April) that drew sharp rebuke from Catholics, as he left Rome for Algeria, where he will spend two days.
He and his entourage departed Rome's Fiumicino airport shortly after 9 am (0700 GMT), heading for the Algerian capital Algiers where he will meet President Abdelmadjid Tebboune before addressing the country's political leaders.
The pope is making the visit with a mission "to help turn the world's attention to Africa", Cardinal Michael Czerny, a senior Vatican official and close adviser to Leo, told Reuters.
Algeria, a predominantly Muslim nation with a tiny Catholic population, holds particular symbolic significance, which has never hosted a papal visit. It is part of the ancient Christian heartland that produced St Augustine of Hippo, one of the Church’s most influential theologians.
The Pope’s trip is expected to focus on dialogue with Muslim leaders, youth engagement, and peacebuilding, reinforcing interfaith cooperation in a country better known for its Islamic identity than its Christian past.
About 20% of the world’s Catholics live on the continent, according to Vatican statistics, making it the fastest-growing region for the Church globally. The tour also sends a message to political leaders about stability, development and the need for interfaith dialogue.
"Pope Leo's visit will remind the world that Africa matters and the vibrancy of the Church in Africa remains at the heart of a thriving (global) Church," said Reverend Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, a Jesuit from Nigeria who led his order's communities across Africa from 2017-23.
Other stops on the tour echo previous papal trips, but Algeria remains unprecedented, highlighting the historic nature of Pope Leo’s journey.
Beyond Africa, the Pope will pay a visit to Monaco in March and Spain in June, including the Canary Islands, a major entry point for African migrants to Europe.
Leo's tour is the 24th by a pope to Africa since the late 1960s.
He is expected to touch on many topics in 25 planned speeches over 10 days, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni told journalists on Friday, given that the four nations face diverse issues.
Likely topics include exploitation of natural resources, Catholic-Muslim dialogue, and dangers of political corruption, said Bruni.
Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea have presidents who have been in power for decades and have been accused of human rights abuses, which they deny.
The biggest event of the itinerary will likely come in Cameroon on Friday, when the Vatican said some 600,000 are expected for a Mass in the coastal city of Douala.
Comfortable in several languages, Leo is expected to speak Italian, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish during the trip.
After speaking to Algeria's political leaders on Monday, Leo will visit the Great Mosque of Algiers in only his second visit to a mosque as pope.
He will travel on Tuesday to Annaba on Algeria's northeast coast, for a visit to the ruins of the ancient town of Hippo.
The site has special meaning to Leo, who is a member of the Augustinian religious order. The order is inspired by the teachings of fourth-century St. Augustine of Hippo, a major figure in the early Church.
The U.S. military said it completed a fresh wave of strikes on Iran late on Thursday, marking the 13th consecutive night of American attacks. The late...
The Azerbaijani publication Minval Politika alleges that Armenia is quietly strengthening its military capabilities in a manner similar to the period...
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has begun his first week working from No 10 North in Manchester, promising to shift power away from London, strengthen ...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 23rd of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. strikes on Iran entered a 12th consecutive night, while Yemen's Houthis said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, urging President Donald Trump to warn Tehran it would be held responsible for any future Houthi attacks.
India and Myanmar are expanding cooperation on rare earths as New Delhi seeks to reduce its reliance on China for critical minerals. The move follows a series of Indian visits to Myanmar and comes amid growing global competition for resources used in clean energy and high-tech industries.
Aleksandar Vučić's visit to Kyiv on 15 July appeared to send a geopolitical signal. But the significance of the trip lies less in the journey itself than in the limits Serbia carefully observed.
The U.S. military said it completed a fresh wave of strikes on Iran late on Thursday, marking the 13th consecutive night of American attacks. The latest operation lasted more than two hours, according to U.S. Central Command.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has begun his first week working from No 10 North in Manchester, promising to shift power away from London, strengthen regional decision-making and drive economic growth across the country.
The European Union has adopted its 21st sanctions package against Russia, imposing its most extensive economic penalties in four years. The measures expand restrictions across the financial, military, cyber and energy sectors while introducing new enforcement tools and broader export controls.
Vietnam is planning to require social media platforms to stop users under 16 from posting content, commenting or reacting to posts under a draft decree designed to strengthen online protections for children.
Women and girls in Sudan's Al-Obeid face a dire choice between the threat of drone attacks during the day and sexual violence when they go out to fetch water in the besieged city, UN Women reports.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi signed a series of agreements in Tehran on Thursday aimed at strengthening bilateral trade, transport links and security cooperation, highlighting the growing strategic partnership between the neighbouring countries.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment