Pope Leo XIV will embark on a multi-nation trip to Africa in April, including a historic first papal visit to Algeria, the Vatican announced on Thursday.
The pontiff will travel to Algiers and Annaba from April 13 to 15, marking the first time a pope has visited the North African Muslim-majority nation. The trip carries symbolic significance, as Algeria is the birthplace of St Augustine, the fifth-century theologian, and Pope Leo XIV is a member of the Augustinian order founded in the 13th century.
Although Islam is Algeria’s state religion, the constitution provides for freedom of worship, subject to government approval.
The visit is expected to emphasise interfaith dialogue and reconciliation, coming three decades after seven French Trappist monks were killed during Algeria’s civil war in the 1990s.
After Algeria, the pope will continue to Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. He is scheduled to visit Yaoundé, Bamenda and Douala from April 15 to 18, before heading to Luanda, Muxima and Saurimo from April 18 to 21. The final leg of the African tour will take him to Malabo, Mongomo and Bata from April 21 to 23.
During stops in Angola and Cameroon, the pope is expected to call for peace and dialogue amid ongoing separatist conflicts affecting civilians.
Prior to his Africa trip, Pope Leo XIV will make a one-day visit to Monaco on March 28 , the first papal visit to the principality in modern times. The palace described the visit as a “historic moment” and a sign of hope and dialogue.
In June, the pontiff will travel to Spain from June 6 to 12. He will visit Madrid and Barcelona, where he is set to inaugurate the newest and tallest tower of the Sagrada Familia. The visit coincides with the centenary of the death of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi, who was declared “venerable” by the Catholic Church in 2025.
The pope will also travel to the Canary Islands, including Tenerife and Gran Canaria, key points along the migration route to Europe. The American-born pontiff, who became leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics in May, has been vocal in his defence of migrants, continuing an emphasis that was central to the papacy of Pope Francis.
The Vatican also confirmed that Pope Leo XIV will undertake additional visits within Italy in the coming months, including to the island of Lampedusa
