Pope Leo XIV begins a groundbreaking journey to Algeria on Monday, becoming the first pontiff in history to visit the North African nation as he seeks to foster harmony between Christian and Muslim communities during a period of worldwide tensions.
The historic two-day visit marks the beginning of an ambitious 11-day African journey that will take the first American-born pope to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, regions representing the expanding center of global Catholicism.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune will welcome Leo XIV at Algiers’ main airport before hosting him at the El Mouradia presidential palace for official discussions.
The pope’s Monday schedule includes addressing government officials and touring the city’s Great Mosque. His day concludes with an event at Our Lady of Africa basilica, followed by prayers at a memorial dedicated to migrants who perished attempting sea crossings to Europe.
The basilica gathering, held at the Roman-Byzantine church constructed during French colonial control in the late 1800s, will showcase testimonials from a Catholic sister, a Pentecostal worshipper, and a Muslim representative, along with papal remarks.
Vatican officials describe the trip’s theme as promoting peace and interfaith cooperation, centered around Leo’s signature greeting of “Peace be with you,” which serves as the visit’s official slogan.
Algeria’s Catholic population comprises roughly 9,000 individuals, predominantly foreigners, within a predominantly Sunni Muslim nation of approximately 47 million residents, Vatican data shows.
French Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, who serves as Algiers’ archbishop, noted that Muslim visitors represent nine-tenths of daily basilica attendance.
“It’s wonderful to be able to show that we can be brothers and sisters together, building a society despite our different religions,” Vesco told The Associated Press before Leo’s arrival. “And that is what our church has been doing since this country gained independence.”
However, the United States has included Algeria on its monitoring list for “having engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom.” While Algeria’s constitution acknowledges “religions other than Islam” and permits individual worship within public order guidelines, converting Muslims to other faiths remains illegal, and authorities have shuttered some Christian churches.
“I imagine it’s a good thing that a pope is visiting Algeria,” said Selma Dénane, a student from coastal Annaba. “But what will it change afterward? Will Christians be able to say, ‘I am a Christian’ without fear or stigmatization?”
Algeria endured devastating civil conflict during the 1990s, known domestically as the “black decade,” claiming approximately 250,000 lives as government forces battled Islamic militants three decades after achieving independence from France.
The violence claimed 19 Catholic lives, including seven Trappist monks from Tibhirine monastery near Algiers, who were abducted and murdered by Islamic fighters in 1996. Two Augustinian nuns from Leo’s own religious order were also among the victims.
During his initial day, Leo XIV will honor these 19 martyrs and meet with surviving Augustinian sisters who operate community assistance programs from the Algiers basilica, serving people regardless of religious background.
“They gave their lives for God, for Jesus, for the church, for the Algerian people because they didn’t want to leave the country, even in the difficult moments,” said Sister Lourdes Miguelez.
The Catholic Church beatified all 19 individuals as faith martyrs in 2018, marking the first such ceremony within the Muslim world.
Archbishop Vesco frequently mentions that Leo’s papal election occurred on May 8, coinciding with the Catholic commemoration of the 19 martyrs. Vesco extended his invitation for a papal visit immediately following the election.
Leo XIV shares additional ties with the murdered Trappist monks through his adoption of a phrase from Christian de Chergé, the martyred monastery leader, who advocated for “unarmed and disarming peace.” The pope has referenced this concept since his election night.
“Obviously he will speak a lot about peace, it’s urgent and current,” Vesco said.
Beyond pastoral duties, Leo’s Algerian journey holds deep personal significance. His Augustinian religious community draws inspiration from St. Augustine of Hippo, the influential 5th-century theological scholar born in present-day Algeria, where he spent nearly his entire life.
Tuesday’s itinerary includes visiting Annaba, the contemporary location of ancient Hippo where St. Augustine served as bishop for thirty years, allowing Leo to retrace the saint’s path.
From his earliest papal statements, Leo has identified himself as a “son of St. Augustine,” consistently incorporating the church father’s teachings throughout his first year in office.
“I don’t know if I have seen a statement, a homily, an apostolic letter or exhortation that doesn’t reference Augustine,” said Paul Camacho, associate director of the Augustinian Institute at Villanova University, Leo’s former Augustinian university near Philadelphia.
“The shadow that he casts on Western thought, not just the Roman Catholic Church but on Western thought more broadly, is very, very long indeed,” he said.
