Pope Leo XIV will travel to four African countries this April in a 10-day apostolic journey that will combine historic firsts, appeals for peace in conflict zones, and encounters with some of the continent’s most vibrant Catholic communities.
The Vatican announced that the Holy Father will visit Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea April 13–23, marking his third international trip since his election. The visit follows earlier journeys to Turkey and Lebanon in November 2025 and a one-day visit to Monaco in March.
According to a press release from AsiaNews, the trip is intended to both honor Africa’s deep Christian roots and bring attention to regions still suffering from violence and instability, while highlighting the “hopes of the people who live on this great continent.”
Historic first stop in Algeria
The journey will begin April 13 in Algiers, in what will be the first time a reigning pope has visited Algeria.
Pope Leo will visit the Maqam Echahid Martyrs’ Monument, honoring those who died in Algeria’s war of independence, before meeting President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and addressing civil authorities.
He is also scheduled to visit the Great Mosque of Algiers and meet the Augustinian Missionary Sisters in Bab El Oued, where two religious sisters were killed during Algeria’s civil conflict in the 1990s. Sisters Caridad Álvarez Martín and Esther Paniagua Alonso were later beatified among the Martyrs of Algeria.
The day will conclude with a gathering of the local Catholic community at the Basilica of Notre Dame d’Afrique.
On April 14, the Pope will travel to Annaba, the site of the ancient city of Hippo, to honor St. Augustine. He will stop by the archaeological site of Hippo, visit the nursing home of the Little Sisters of the Poor, meet members of the Augustinian order, and celebrate Mass at the Basilica of St. Augustine.
Focus on conflict and reconciliation in Cameroon
After returning briefly to Algiers, the Pope will depart April 15 for Cameroon, where he will meet President Paul Biya and address government officials, civil society, and diplomats in Yaoundé, the country’s capital.
A major highlight of the visit will come April 16 in Bamenda in Cameroon’s Anglophone northwest, a region affected by ongoing violence described by AsiaNews as one of the world’s most overlooked conflicts. There, Pope Leo will lead a peace gathering and celebrate Mass.
In Douala, the country’s economic center, the Pope will celebrate another Mass, visit the sick at a Catholic hospital, and meet with university students.
Marian devotion and development in Angola
The Pontiff will travel April 18 to Angola, where he will meet President João Lourenço and address other national leaders.
On April 19, he will celebrate Mass in Kilamba, a rapidly developing urban area, and pray the Rosary at the Marian shrine of Mama Muxima, a site of longstanding popular devotion.
The following day, Pope Leo will visit Saurimo, a major center of Angola’s diamond industry.
Final leg in Equatorial Guinea
The journey’s final stage will take place April 21–23 in Equatorial Guinea.
In Malabo, the Pope will meet President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, address civil authorities, and inaugurate a university campus dedicated in his honor. He will also visit a psychiatric hospital.
On April 22, the Holy Father will travel to Mongomo to celebrate Mass before continuing to Bata, a city still recovering from a deadly 2021 explosion that killed more than 100 people. There, he will visit a prison and a technical school. He will also meet with young people and families.
The trip will conclude April 23 with a Mass in Malabo before the Pope returns to Rome.