Pope Leo XIV's journey to Africa begins in Algiers

Pope Leo leaves for an 11-day trip to Africa, touching down in four countries - Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, Equatorial Guinea - and visiting 11 cities. On the agenda are 25 speeches, a Regina Coeli, and eight masses. This will be Prevost's third international trip, following those to Turkey and Lebanon (late November-early December 2025) and to Monte Carlo, on 28 March.

The journey to the African continent starts from Algeria, in the footsteps of Saint Augustine, and with the homage to the Christian martyrs. Prevost is the first pontiff to travel to the land that gave birth to the Saint of Hippo. The Pope visits Algiers on Monday 13th April and Annaba on Tuesday, the old Hippo, where Saint Augustine was bishop. A sort of pilgrimage that the Augustinian Pope will unite with the memory of the Christian martyrs of the 1990s, nineteen of whom were beatified by Pope Francis. In Algeria, Leo will deliver five speeches, visit the Martyrs' Monument, meet the authorities, civil society, the diplomatic corps, the Algerian community and visit the home for the elderly. Finally, he will celebrate mass in the basilica of St Augustine.

On 15 April, Leo will travel to Cameroon. Here he will stay in Yaoundé, but will also visit Douala, the country's economic capital, and Bamenda, in the northwest, a region plagued since 2013 by a terrible conflict that has left thousands dead and almost 500,000 internally displaced persons. In Yaoundé, he will deliver seven speeches and celebrate three masses; he will meet the authorities and the university world, visit the Ngul Zamba orphanage and hold a peace meeting with the Bamenda community.

On 18 April, Leo left for Angola, visiting Luanda, Muxima and Saurimo. There will be six speeches in this land, two Masses, plus a meeting with the authorities, prayer of the rosary at the Mama Muxima Shrine, a visit to the home for the elderly in Saurimo and a meeting with bishops, priests and pastoral workers.

Finally, on 21 April Leone will be in Equatorial Guinea and will visit the capital Malabo and the cities of Mongomo and Bata. Seven speeches. After the meeting with the authorities at the presidential palace, Prevost will meet the world of culture at the university campus, visit the sick in the psychiatric hospital, celebrate mass in the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mongomo, and visit the prison in Bata. Finally, the meeting with young people and families. He is scheduled to return to the Vatican on 23 April.