Pope Leo XIV travelled to Algeria on Monday, kicking off his third international trip as pope and it’s one of his longest Journey, stretching over ten days in Africa. This time, he’s covering four countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea. Before this, he visited Turkey, Lebanon, and Monaco, but those trips were much shorter.
He touched down in Algeria first, from April 13 to 15. The focus here? Connecting with people and building friendships. Algeria has nearly 48 million Muslims and just a few thousand Catholics, so the visit stands out. It’s the first time any pope has visited the homeland of St. Augustine—a place Pope Leo feels deeply connected to, once calling himself “a son of St. Augustine” right after becoming pope.
After Algeria, he heads to Cameroon from April 15 to 18. His stops include the capital, Yaoundé, the bustling city of Douala, and Bamenda, which sits at the heart of the ongoing Anglophone conflict. Douala and Bamenda are both known for their strong political opposition to President Paul Biya, who’s held power since 1982. This marks the third papal visit to Cameroon, following Pope St. John Paul II in 1985 and 1995, and Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.
Angola is next on the itinerary, with Pope Leo visiting Luanda, Muxima, and Saurimo from April 18 to 21—similar to the path Benedict XVI took in 2009. Finally, the journey wraps up in Equatorial Guinea from April 21 to 23, where the pope will help celebrate 170 years since the Gospel first reached the country.
