Pope Leo XIV visited Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea from April 13 to 23, 2026. This trip was this pope's third trip outside of Italy and first to Africa since his election in May 2025. The Holy See released the Pope's itinerary and transcripts of his addresses publicly in March.
Background Algeria
This was the first ever papal visit to Algeria in the history of the Catholic Church and the first leg of Pope Leo XIV's apostolic trip to Africa. Algeria is an overwhelmingly Muslim country, with 99% of the population being Sunnis, with only over 8,000 Catholics. Algeria is the homeland of Saint Augustine, who was the Bishop of Hippo and died in what is now modern-day Annaba. Pope Leo XIV is part of the Augustinian Order, who follow the teachings of St. Augustine. He also visited the Great Mosque of Algiers, one of the largest mosques in the world and the second he will visit, as a gesture of interfaith dialogue. The trip also aimed to provide support to local Catholic and Christian communities following a period of regional tension and church closures.
Prior to his election as Pope, Father Robert Prevost visited Algeria twice in his capacity as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine, which he held from 2001 to 2013. As a "spiritual son" of St. Augustine, these visits were connected to the historical and spiritual roots of his religious order. His first visit was in 2001 where he traveled to Annaba to attend an international conference on St. Augustine, and took place following the Black Decade of the Algerian Civil War. He returned to Algeria in 2013 at the conclusion of his twelve-year term for the formal reopening and dedication of the Basilica of St. Augustine following extensive restoration work. The project was a major collaboration involving the Algerian government, the French government, and the Augustinians. He also spent time with Augustinian friars who maintains the basilica and the Augustinian Missionary Sisters in Algiers.
Cameroon
Catholics make up nearly 33% of Cameroon's population, with origins tied to the French colonial era. Cameroon has hosted several papal visits, with Pope John Paul II visiting in 1985 and 1995, and Pope Benedict XVI visiting in 2009. Pope Leo XIV visited Yaoundé, Bamenda, and Douala during his three days in the country.
Pope Leo XIV's visit to Cameroon was highly anticipated as it intersected with the country's Anglophone Crisis, in which the Catholic Church serves as a mediator.
Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya, who worked with Pope Leo XIV during the Synod on Synodality in October 2024, was instrumental in organizing the Pope's visit to Cameroon as President of the country's National Episcopal Conference. Nkea has campaigned for peace between the separatist Ambazonian movement in the South West Region and the Cameroonian government.
To honor Pope Leo's visit, some Ambazonian militant groups announced a temporary ceasefire in Cameroon, the first after nearly a decade of conflict, to allow "safe travel passage" for the Pope and pilgrims.
Angola
As a country formerly colonized by Portugal, Angola has a long history of Catholicism. Portuguese missionaries baptized King Nzinga a Nkuwu of the Kingdom of Kongo in 1491, giving him the baptismal name of João I. His son, Afonso I, became a devout Catholic and turned the kingdom into a Christian state. Afonso's son, Henrique Kinu a Mvemba, was a Catholic prelate and was appointed as the titular bishop of Utica, in present-day Tunisia as the first Central African bishop in history. The early Catholic Church in Angola established schools and churches to blend European liturgy with local traditions. In the early 1700s, as Catholic traditions declined due to a lack of clergy, syncretic folk movements developed out of the Catholic Church in Kongo, challenging the authority of the Church but without denying the Pope's authority. Under the Estado Novo dictatorship of António de Oliveira Salazar in the 1900s, the Catholic Church was granted authority over all indigenous education and was tasked with "civilizing" Angolans and spreading the Portuguese language. Following Angola gaining independence in 1975, the ruling government declared Angola an atheist state, which led to the religious restrictions and harassment of priests and nuns. By the late 1980s, admist the Angolan Civil War, the Church became the primary mediator for peace. Since then, the Catholic Church has been the most influential non-state institution in Angola, frequently criticizing government corruption and advocating for human rights.
Angola has hosted two popes on previous papal visits: Pope John Paul II in 1992 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. With approximately 40-50% of Angolans identifying as Catholic, Angola is a strategic hub for the Catholic Church in Africa. Pope Leo's visit is intended to promote hope, reconciliation, and peace amid significant corruption and poor human rights records.
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea is a predominantly Catholic country, with at least 70% of the population identifying as such. Due to a history of Portuguese and Spanish colonization, the Catholic presence began in the late 15th century and strengthened in the 18th century. In 1853, Spain and the Vatican signed a concordat to establish Catholicism as the colony's official religion, leading to the expulsion of Protestant missionaries. The Claretians arrived in 1882 and became the dominant religious force, making Equatorial Guinea the country with the highest percentage of Catholics in Africa by the 1960s. After gaining independence from Spain in 1968, the then-Republic of Equatorial Guinean dictator Francisco Macías Nguema replaced Christianity with a personality cult, ordering his portrait to be displayed in every church, with phrases such as "There is no other God other than Macías Nguema". As a result of the total ban in 1978, many priests and nuns were arrested, killed, or forced into exile, fleeing to Gabon or Cameroon. After Macías Nguema was overthrown in 1979, his nephew Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo took over and also lifted the ban on the Church.
Equatorial Guinea has hosted one papal visit prior to Pope Leo's trip, with Pope John Paul II visiting in 1982 in a symbolic reopening of the Church after years of prosecution. The Catholic Church operates under the main Archdiocese of Malabo, with several suffragan dioceses throughout the country. As there are few Equatorial Guinea priests, most pastoral work is carried out by Spanish priests, monks, and nuns. While Equatorial Guinea is a secular state with freedom of religion, Catholicism has a privileged status with Masses integrated into major state ceremonies and national holidays.
Itinerary Algeria While approaching Algerian airspace on April 13, the papal plane was given a military escort, which the Pope praised as "a sign of the goodness... generosity... respect that the Algerian people and the Algerian government have wished to show towards the Holy See, to myself". He landed at Houari Boumediene Airport in the capital city Algiers and was welcome by Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebboune, during which a young girl offered him flowers. After the national anthems and presentation of the delegations, he was driven to the El Mouradia Palace where he was received in the Salon d'Honneur for a formal state meeting. Following the diplomatic reception, he was driven to the Maqam Echahid monument and then transitioned to an interreligious engagement at the Great Mosque of Algiers, the largest mosque in Algeria and the third-largest in the world. He met with the mosque's rector and other religious leaders. In the afternoon, Pope Leo visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa and held a meeting with the local Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Algiers. In his address, he offered encouragement to the small minority of Catholics in the country. He then visited a hospitality center managed by the Augustinian Missionary Sisters in the Bab El Oued neighborhood to emphasize the "works of mercy", focusing on the sisters' efforts to provide friendship and support to those in need regardless of faith. At the visit with the Augustinian sisters, Pope Leo also honored the memory of two Spanish nuns, sisters Esther and Caridad, who were martyred on the way to a chapel in 1994 during the Algerian Civil War. Pope Leo ended the day with a private evening.
On April 14, he made the journey to Annaba, the modern city that was once Hippo Regius. As an Augustinian, the Pope described this portion as a "spiritual homecoming" focusing on the legacy of St. Augustine as a bridge for modern interreligious dialogue, as St. Augustine is part of the Algerian identity. Pope Leo held silent prayer under a rainstorm at the archaeological site of the Basilica Pacis, where St. Augustine preached as Bishop, and laid a wreath of flowers and planted an olive tree in a symbolic gesture of peace. The Pope also listened a composition of hymns performed by a choir from Annaba's Music Institute featuring lyrics derived from St. Augustine's writings on peace and fraternity. Rev. Kevin Farrell, the current head of the Augustinian Order, accompanied Pope Leo during this visit. After the tour, Pope Leo visited the Ma Maison care home for the elderly, operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor. He met with the community's Mother superior and several residents, offering a message of hope. He notably thanked an elderly Algerian Muslim resident for his testimony on fraternal living. In the afternoon, he held a public Mass at the Basilica of Saint Augustine, where he praised the local Christian community for their perseverance. He also referenced his earlier visits in 2001 and 2013, expressing gratitude for the "divine plan" that allowed him to return as the successor of Peter. Ecumenical guests at the service included Bishop Ashley Null of the Anglican Diocese of North Africa. The Pope returned to Algiers in the evening to prepare for his departure to Cameroon the following morning.
Cameroon On April 15, the Pope landed at Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport in the afternoon and was welcomed by prime minister Joseph Dion Ngute. Two children offered a floral tribute to him. Following the national anthems and presentation of delegations, the Pope was transferred to the Unity Presidential Palace in Yaoundé. Here, he was received by president Paul Biya and Cabinet Director Samuel Ayolo. At 17:05 local time, Pope Leo met with local authorities, civil societies, and the diplomatic corps, where he delivered his address. He described Cameroon as "Africa in miniature" due to its richness in lands, cultures, languages, and traditions. The Pope also referenced Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI's visits, emphasizing the "importance of reconciliation, justice and peace". He also decried "a handful of tyrants" and urged the Cameroonian government to root out corruption. He called for peace in the Far North, Northwest, and Southwest regions that are afflicted by Anglophone Crisis conflict. Pope Leo also calls for a transition in Cameroon to prioritize civil societies, trade unions, and humanitarian NGOs. Afterwards, Pope Leo visited the Ngul Zamba Orphanage, operated by the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary. The Superior General of the orphanage welcomed him and the orphanage's children gave testimonies and sang welcome songs. At the end of the visit, the congregation, along with Pope Leo, recited the Lord's Prayer and he gave a Blessing. He was then transferred to the national headquarters of Cameroon's Episcopal Conference for a private meeting with the Cameroonian bishops. He then transferred to the Apostolic Nunciature for an evening meeting.