Pope Leo XIV arrived on Wednesday in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, after a five-hour flight.
During an in-flight meeting with journalists aboard the papal aircraft, he gave a short address in which he expressed appreciation to Algerian authorities and reflected on the first leg of his trip.
Speaking in English, Leo said he was “grateful to all the authorities in Algeria, who made this visit possible. As youʼve seen, theyʼve even granted us the full honor of an escort as we fly over Algerian airspace.”
He added that this gesture reflected deeper goodwill from the North African country.
This, the Pope said, is “a sign of the goodness, of the generosity, of the respect that the Algerian people and the Algerian government have wished to show to the Holy See, to myself. And so I want to say a word of thanks to them, as well as a word of thanks to the very small but very significant presence of the Catholic Church in Algeria.”
The pontiff also reflected on the significance of his earlier visits during the trip.
“We had, as you know,” he said, “some very special visits both in the Basilica Notre Dame dʼAfrique as well as in Annaba yesterday, in the Basilica of St. Augustine on the hill overlooking both the modern city of Annaba and the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Ippona. And that in itself, I would say, is also symbolically significant, because St. Augustine, who was bishop, as you know, of Hippo for more than 30 years, actually is a figure which is very much from the past and speaks to us of tradition, speaks to us of the life, the Church, as the Church grew in the early centuries.”
He further highlighted St. Augustine’s enduring relevance.
Continuing to speak about St. Augustine, Leo said that he is “a very important figure today as his writings, his teaching, his spirituality, his invitation to search for God and to search for truth is something that is very much needed today, a message that is very real for all of us today, as believers in Jesus Christ, but for all people. And as youʼve seen, even the people of Algeria, the vast majority of whom are not Christian, they very much honor and respect the memory of St. Augustine as one of the great sons of their land.”
Reflecting on his return to Annaba, he added, “So it was a special blessing for me personally to return once again to Annaba yesterday, but also to offer to the Church and the world a vision that St. Augustine offers us in terms of the search for God and the struggle to build community, to seek for unity among all peoples and respect for all peoples in spite of the differences.”
Concluding his remarks, the Pope said the two-day visit had underscored the importance of dialogue and peaceful coexistence.
“In two days in Algeria I think weʼve really had a wonderful opportunity to, if you will, continue to build bridges, to promote dialogue. I think the visit to the mosque was significant and to say that it showed that although we have different beliefs, we have different ways of worshipping, we have different ways of living, we can live together in peace. And so I think that promoting that kind of image is something which the world needs to hear today, and that together we can continue to offer in our witness through as we continue on this apostolic voyage.”
Pope Leo XIV is the third pontiff to visit Cameroon.
On arrival, he is scheduled to meet 92-year-old President Paul Biya, who is currently serving his eighth term after four decades in power.
Following his address to the diplomatic corps, an established protocol at the start of papal visits, he will also tour the Ngul Zamba orphanage, a long-standing institution dedicated to supporting vulnerable children.
Beyond Yaoundé, the Pope will travel to Bamenda, about 230 miles away, a region central to Cameroon’s ongoing Anglophone crisis, where separatist tensions have persisted for years.
He is also expected to visit Douala, the country’s economic hub, before departing for Angola on April 18.
