Pope Leo XIV landed in Algeria on the morning of April 13, marking the first papal apostolic visit to the North African nation and the opening leg of his 11-day, four-country tour of Africa.
Speaking to journalists aboard the flight to Algiers, the pope said his African journey was originally intended to be his first as pontiff.
“Already last year, in May, I said, ‘On my first trip, I would like to travel to Africa,’” Pope Leo said on the papal plane, a chartered ITA Airways flight.
He added, “I am very happy to visit the land of St. Augustine again,” noting that Augustine “offers a very important bridge in interreligious dialogue” and “is much loved in his homeland, as we will see.”
Emphasising the broader message of his trip, he said, “We must always seek bridges to build peace and reconciliation. And so, this trip truly represents a precious opportunity to continue with the same voice, with the same message.”
Describing the visit as deeply meaningful, the pope said it is “very special for several reasons,” adding that it is “a blessing for me personally,” while expressing hope that it would also be a blessing “for the Church and the world.”
During the flight, Pope Leo also addressed a personal attack made by President Donald Trump on social media the night before, saying, “I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do.”
The papal aircraft touched down at Houari Boumediene Airport in Algiers shortly before 10 a.m. local time after a two-hour flight from Rome.
Due to forecasts of heavy rain, the official welcome ceremony in the capital was moved indoors.
He was received by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, with an honor guard present and a young girl presenting him with flowers.
The visit is historic for Algeria, a country where about 99% of the population is Sunni Muslim and fewer than 9,000 Catholics live among more than 45 million people.
Local bishops described the pope’s arrival as that of “an apostle of peace,” aimed at strengthening a Church whose mission is rooted in “fraternal presence” within a predominantly Muslim society.
From April 13 to 23, the 70-year-old pontiff is expected to cover about 11,000 miles on 18 flights, visiting 11 cities across Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.
He is scheduled to deliver speeches in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish, using English primarily while in Algeria.
Algeria, Africa’s largest country, is largely covered by the Sahara Desert, though the papal itinerary focuses on its northern Mediterranean region, including Algiers and Annaba.
The visit carries personal significance for the pope, who referred to himself as a “son of Augustine” at his election on May 8, 2025. St. Augustine served as bishop of Hippo Regius, near present-day Annaba, and died there in A.D. 430.
Pope Leo first visited Algeria in 2003 as prior general of the Augustinian order and returned again in 2014.
“The Holy Father has already visited Algeria twice,” Bishop Michel Guillaud of Constantine-Hippone told newsmen
Pope Leo’s trip, he said, is primarily aimed at meeting the Algerian people and supporting the local Church, drawing strength from the shared connection through St. Augustine.
Algeria is also home to the memory of modern Christian witnesses, including the 19 martyrs beatified in 2018 during the Algerian Civil War, among them Trappist monks whose story was later depicted in the film Of Gods and Men.
On his first day, the pope is scheduled to make a private visit to the Augustinian Missionary Sisters of Bab El Oued in honour of Sisters Esther Paniagua Alonso and Caridad Álvarez Martín, who were killed in 1994 while travelling to Mass.
Both were among the 19 martyrs beatified in 2018. The sisters continue to serve the local community through education and outreach to children, youth, and women.
Another significant Catholic figure connected to Algeria is St. Charles de Foucauld, the French hermit and missionary who lived among the Tuareg people in the Sahara and was canonised in 2022.
Interfaith outreach in a Muslim-majority nation
Following his arrival, the pope’s first public engagement is scheduled at the Maqam Echahid Memorial, dedicated to those who died in Algeria’s war of independence from France.
He is also expected to meet civil authorities and visit the Great Mosque of Algiers, one of the largest mosques in the world, in a gesture aimed at strengthening Christian–Muslim dialogue.
Later in the evening, he will meet members of the local Christian community at the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa, which overlooks the Mediterranean Sea.
Algeria’s history spans its role as a Roman breadbasket, centuries under Arab-Amazigh dynasties and Ottoman rule, and French colonisation beginning in 1830, which ended after the 1954–1962 war of independence.
Bishop Guillaud said the visit sends a strong message that Christianity “is an asset and not a danger” to Algerian society, adding that popes are seen as advocates of peace, justice, and reconciliation for all.
On April 14, Pope Leo is scheduled to travel to Annaba, in northeastern Algeria, near the ruins of ancient Hippo Regius, to pray at the site where St. Augustine spent his final years.
