Pope Leo XIV to deliver prayers and calls for peace on landmark Africa tour

Pope Leo XIV is set to embark on his first major tour of Africa in April 2026, blending prayer, diplomacy, and calls for peace, justice, and equality across the continent.

The head of the Catholic Church will travel to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, delivering seven masses and 11 speeches during the multi-day trip.

The tour begins on April 13 in Algiers, Algeria, where the Pope will meet President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and celebrate mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa, becoming the first pope to visit the North African nation.

In Cameroon, Pope Leo XIV will meet longtime leader Paul Biya and travel to the conflict-hit city of Bamenda, where he is expected to issue a strong appeal for peace amid a decade-long separatist crisis.

The Angola leg will focus on social justice, including corruption, inequality, and resource conflicts. In Luanda, the Pope will meet diplomats and visit religious and social institutions across the country.

The tour concludes in Equatorial Guinea, where he will visit Malabo, Mongomo, and Bata, meeting clergy, visiting a technology school, and praying at a memorial for victims of a 2021 explosion.

This will be Pope Leo XIV’s third trip abroad since his election in 2025, highlighting the Vatican’s focus on Africa, where issues of interfaith dialogue, peacebuilding, and social inequality remain central to his mission.

The trip his third abroad since his election in 2025 underscores the Vatican’s focus on Africa, where issues of interfaith dialogue, peacebuilding and social inequality remain central to the pope’s message.

TNAM

Edited By Egwu Patience Nnennaya.