Pope Leo XIV to Make Historic First Visit to Algeria

Vatican City — Pope Leo XIV will become the first pontiff to visit Algeria on Monday, launching an 11-day tour of Africa aimed at promoting interfaith dialogue and peaceful coexistence.The visit marks a historic milestone for Algeria, where Islam is the state religion and Catholics form a small minority.

Vatican officials said the trip is intended to engage with the Islamic world and address broader challenges of coexistence amid global tensions.The Algeria leg will be the first stop in a wider travel that includes Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, covering approximately 18,000 kilometers between April 13 and 23.

During his visit to Algiers, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to meet President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and address government officials and diplomats. He will also visit the Great Mosque of Algiers and meet members of the Catholic community, while holding private prayers for clergy killed during Algeria’s civil war in the 1990s.

A key moment of the trip will come in Annaba, historically associated with Saint Augustine, whose legacy has influenced the pope’s spiritual outlook. Leo, formerly Robert Francis Prevost and a member of the Augustinian order, has often described himself as a “son” of Augustine.

The visit comes as rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, EuroMed Rights and MENA Rights Group, have urged the Vatican to address concerns over restrictions on religious minorities in Algeria.

Algerian officials and local media have highlighted the symbolic significance of the visit, describing it as a reflection of the country’s stability and its role in fostering dialogue on the global stage.

The trip unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with the Vatican emphasizing a message centered on interfaith understanding and peaceful coexistence.