Pope Leo XIV Africa Tour Begins With Historic Algeria Landing
Quick Reads
- Pope Leo XIV touched down in Algiers at around 09:00 GMT on Monday, April 13, 2026.
- This is the first papal visit to Algeria, a country of 48 million people that is overwhelmingly Muslim.
- The 11-day tour will cover four African countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.
- Leo is expected to deliver 25 speeches across 11 cities over the course of the journey.
- A crowd of some 600,000 is expected at a mass in the Cameroonian city of Douala on Friday.
Pope Leo XIV has landed in Algiers, launching the Pope Leo XIV Africa Tour with a historic first. No Catholic pontiff has ever visited Algeria before Monday. The 70-year-old American-born pope departed Rome’s Fiumicino Airport and touched down at Algiers International Airport at approximately 09:00 GMT, according to an AFP journalist aboard the papal plane. The tour will span 11 days, four countries, and nearly 18,000 kilometres.
A Historic First for a Muslim-Majority Nation
Algeria is home to fewer than 10,000 Catholics within a population of roughly 48 million. The country has never hosted a Catholic pope. Archbishop of Algiers Jean-Paul Vesco told AFP the visit is designed to “build bridges between the Christian and Muslim worlds.” Monday’s schedule includes visits to the Great Mosque of Algiers, home to the world’s highest minaret, and the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa. Leo will also pay tribute to victims of Algeria’s war of independence from France, which lasted from 1954 to 1962. He will pray in a chapel dedicated to 19 priests and nuns killed during Algeria’s 1992–2002 civil war.
Pope Leo XIV Africa Tour: Scope and Ambitions
The tour is the third international journey of Leo’s pontificate and his longest yet. After two days in Algeria, the pope will travel to Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea. Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said Leo will deliver 25 speeches in 11 days. Topics are expected to include exploitation of natural resources, Catholic-Muslim dialogue, and political corruption. Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea both have long-serving presidents accused of human rights abuses, allegations both governments deny.
Africa contributes greatly to global Catholicism. According to Vatican statistics, the continent produced 8.3 million of the 15.8 million new Catholics baptised in 2023. Angola and Cameroon are among the leading producers of new seminarians on the continent each year. More than half the populations of Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea identify as Catholic.
Augustinian Ties and a Trip to Ancient Hippo
Leo’s personal connection to Algeria runs deep. As Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine, he visited Algeria twice, in 2001 and 2013. On April 14, he is scheduled to travel to Annaba, the modern site of ancient Hippo. There, he will visit the archaeological site and the Basilica of St. Augustine. Algeria is the land of St. Augustine, born in Thagaste in 354 AD and bishop of Hippo until his death in 430 AD. That history gives this leg of the tour particular personal significance for the pontiff.
Peace, Dialogue, and a Rebuke of Politics
Aboard the papal flight, Leo told journalists he is not a politician. He said he will continue to preach the Gospel’s call for peace and multilateral dialogue. The pope has been an outspoken critic of the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran. He has previously urged world leaders to reject war and pursue negotiation. His Africa trip comes as his relationship with the US government has grown tense. The White House has not responded warmly to his peace appeals. Leo is expected to address audiences in Italian, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish across the tour.
