Pope Leo XIV to Make Historic Visit to Four African Nations in April
Journey highlights interfaith dialogue, peace advocacy, and historical commemorations across four nations
- Pope Leo XIV will make the first-ever papal visit to Algeria, April 13–15.
- Visits commemorate 30 years since the beheading of seven French monks
- Tour includes Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, promoting peace and dialogue
Pope Leo XIV will visit four African countries in April, including a historic first papal trip to Algeria, the Vatican announced on Thursday.
The pontiff will stop in Algiers and Annaba from April 13 to 15, commemorating 30 years since the beheading of seven French monks during Algeria’s civil war in the 1990s. The itinerary also highlights interfaith dialogue, as Islam is Algeria’s state religion, though the constitution allows freedom of worship subject to government approval.
Leo XIV, a member of the Augustinian order, noted that the visit provides an opportunity to strengthen Christian-Muslim relations. Algeria is also the birthplace of St. Augustine, the influential fifth-century theologian, whose bishopric was based in present-day Annaba.
Following Algeria, the pope will travel to Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea from April 15 to 23. In these nations, he is expected to promote peace amid ongoing separatist violence, particularly in Cameroon and Angola.
Before heading to Africa, Pope Leo XIV will visit Monaco on March 28, marking the first modern papal visit to the principality. Monaco described the trip as a historic moment underscoring dialogue, peace, and shared responsibility, endorsed by Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene.
In June, the pope will visit Spain, touring Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands from June 6 to 12. In Spain, he will inaugurate the tallest tower of the Sagrada Familia Basilica, commemorating 100 years since Antoni Gaudi’s death, and address migrant issues in Tenerife and Gran Canaria amid ongoing Mediterranean migration challenges.
The African and European trips follow planned domestic visits within Italy, including Lampedusa, highlighting migration and humanitarian concerns. Pope Francis’ last African visit was in February 2023, when he traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
