Pope Leo XIV Embarks on Landmark Four-Nation African Tour

​VATICAN CITY – Pope Leo XIV is set to depart for Africa this Monday, marking the first major international journey of his papacy since succeeding Pope Francis in May 2025. The 11-day apostolic journey will see the 70-year-old American-born Pontiff travel over 18,000 kilometers, visiting Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.

​The ambitious itinerary, which runs from April 13 to April 23, is packed with 11 speeches and seven public Masses. Vatican officials describe the tour as a “pilgrimage of peace and reconciliation,” aimed at addressing the continent’s most pressing challenges, including interfaith dialogue, economic inequality, and human rights.

​A Historic First in Algeria

​The tour begins with a groundbreaking three-day stop in Algeria, where Leo XIV will become the first Pope in history to visit the predominantly Muslim North African nation. As a member of the Order of Saint Augustine, the Pope is expected to make a deeply personal pilgrimage to Annaba, the historic home of Saint Augustine.

ADVERTISEMENT

​”He comes as a brother visiting brothers,” said Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop of Algiers. The Pope is scheduled to meet with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and will hold a private moment of prayer in a chapel dedicated to the 19 priests and nuns killed during the country’s civil war in the 1990s.

​Peace and Social Justice

​From the Mediterranean coast, the Pontiff will head to Cameroon, where he is expected to deliver a powerful message regarding the ongoing conflict in the English-speaking regions. A central Mass is planned for Bamenda, the heart of the restive Northwest region, under high security.

​The latter half of the trip focuses on West and Central Africa:

• ​Angola: In the oil-rich capital of Luanda, the Pope is expected to challenge leaders on the “equitable distribution of resources” and the fight against systemic corruption.

• ​Equatorial Guinea: The final leg will take him to one of Africa’s smallest but wealthiest nations, where he will balance support for the local Catholic majority with calls for improved social justice and human rights.

​A Global Message

​This trip is Leo XIV’s third foray outside Italy—following brief visits to Turkey and Lebanon—but its scale signals his intent to prioritize the “peripheries” of the Church.

​The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, noted that while the Pope will address specific local issues, his broader message will focus on the plight of “children on the move,” echoing the theme he recently set for the 2026 World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

​The Pope is scheduled to return to Rome on April 23, following an in-flight press conference where he traditionally reflects on the highlights of his journey.