Pope Leo To Visit Africa In His First Major Tour Overseas

Pope Leo XIV will visit four African countries, Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Cameroon, in his major trip overseas in 2026, from April 13 to 23.

The trip to Africa, which is expected to draw a large crowd, signifies the Vatican’s recognition of the continent with the fastest-rising number of Catholics, averaging about 20 per cent of the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.

Pope Leo XIV is expected to urge world leaders to support development on the continent and highlight efforts at Catholic-Muslim dialogue.

“Pope Leo’s visit will remind the world that Africa matters and the vibrancy of the Church in Africa remains at the heart of a thriving (global) Church,” said Reverend Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, a Jesuit from Nigeria who led his order’s communities across Africa from 2017 to 2023.

The last papal trip to Africa was in 2023 by the deceased Pope Francis, who visited the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. Pope Benedict XVI was the last pontiff to visit Angola and Cameroon in 2009. John Paul II was the last Pope to visit Equatorial Guinea in 1982.

Algeria, an overwhelmingly Muslim country with a few thousand Catholics among its population of 47 million people, has never hosted a papal visit before. Leo, a member of the Augustinian religious order, has a special interest in visiting the country. Fourth-century St Augustine of Hippo, a major figure in the early Christian Church, was from an area that is now part of Algeria.

The Pope is also expected to visit Peru in 2026, where he previously served as a missionary and bishop for decades. The visit will likely take place by November, the local bishops said.