Pope Leo XIV is set to make history this April as the first pontiff to visit Algeria.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the visit, scheduled for April 13-23, is part of an extensive African tour that includes Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Cameroon. This marks his first major foreign trip of 2026.
The 70-year-old pontiff, who was elected last May as the successor to the late Pope Francis, currently leads a church with 1.4 billion members worldwide. Before departing from Rome airport for Algeria on Sunday, he was subject to unusual criticism from US President Donald Trump, which triggered a sharp reaction from the Catholic community.
Cardinal Michael Czerny, a high-ranking church official, told Reuters that the primary objective of the visit is to direct global attention toward Africa. During the stay, the Pope is scheduled to meet with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and subsequently deliver an address to the country's political leadership.
The key themes of the visit include:
- Promotion of Catholic-Muslim interfaith dialogue
- Youth engagement in society and peacebuilding
- Addressing the exploitation of natural resources and risks of political corruption
According to spokesperson Matteo Bruni, the Pope will deliver 25 different speeches over the course of 10 days. The largest event is expected to take place in Douala, Cameroon, with an estimated 600,000 people in attendance.
As part of the itinerary, Leo XIV will visit the Great Mosque of Algiers and the ruins of the ancient city of Hippo. Africa is currently considered the fastest-growing region for the global Catholic Church, with approximately 20 percent of the world's Catholics residing on the continent. This demographic shift has made the continent a strategic priority for the Vatican's diplomatic and evangelical efforts in the 21st century.
