Vatican City – Pope Leo XIV will embark on a 10-day pastoral visit to Africa beginning April 13, marking his first official trip to the continent since assuming leadership of the Catholic Church.
According to the Vatican, the pontiff will visit Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. In Cameroon, his itinerary includes stops in Yaoundé, Douala and Bamenda, located in the conflict-affected Northwest region. Notably, this will be the first-ever papal visit to Algeria, a predominantly Muslim country and birthplace of St Augustine of Hippo.
Before his election as pope, Leo—formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost—visited several African nations, including Kenya and Tanzania. His upcoming trip underscores Africa’s growing importance to the Catholic Church, with the continent now home to about 20% of the world’s Catholics.
The visit follows his earlier foreign trip to Turkey and Lebanon, where he advocated peace and reconciliation in the Middle East. Vatican News reports that the African tour, scheduled for April 13 to 23, will include stops in Algiers and Annaba (Algeria); Yaoundé, Bamenda and Douala (Cameroon); Luanda, Muxima and Saurimo (Angola); and Malabo, Mongomo and Bata (Equatorial Guinea). The detailed programme of activities is yet to be released.
