The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, will on Monday commence an 11-day tour of Africa, marking his first major foreign trip since ascending the papacy last year.
The visit will take him to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, where he is expected to address key global and regional issues, including interfaith dialogue, conflict resolution, inequality and human rights.
During the trip, which spans over 18,000 kilometres, the 70-year-old pontiff is scheduled to deliver 11 speeches, celebrate seven masses and visit multiple religious and humanitarian institutions.
The tour comes amid heightened global uncertainty linked to geopolitical tensions and economic disruptions, with observers noting that the pope’s messages are likely to carry significant international weight.
In Algeria, where Islam is the state religion, Pope Leo XIV will become the first pontiff to visit the North African country. He is expected to tour the Great Mosque of Algiers and hold talks with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
He will also visit Annaba, historically linked to Saint Augustine, and pray in honour of clergy members killed during the country’s civil war between 1992 and 2002.
The pope’s next stop will be Cameroon, where calls for peace and reconciliation are expected to dominate his engagements, particularly in the conflict-affected English-speaking regions.
He is billed to hold a mass and deliver an address in Bamenda, a city central to the protracted crisis, as well as meet with President Paul Biya.
In addition, he will visit hospitals, schools and charitable organisations run by the Catholic Church in the country.
In Angola, the pontiff is expected to focus on social justice issues, including equitable distribution of wealth and anti-corruption efforts in the resource-rich nation.
He will visit the capital, Luanda, and travel to Muxima, a historic religious site along a former slave route.
The final leg of the tour will take him to Equatorial Guinea, where he is expected to deliver messages on human rights and social justice while navigating the sensitivities surrounding the country’s long-standing leadership under President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
Analysts say the visit will require a careful balance between supporting local Catholic communities and avoiding perceptions of political endorsement.
The Africa tour is the pope’s latest international engagement, following earlier visits to Turkey, Lebanon and Monaco, and is seen as a significant step in strengthening the Catholic Church’s presence on the continent.
