Pope Leo to Visit Four African Nations in April

Pope Leo will embark on a 10-day tour of Africa from April 13 to 23, visiting Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon, the Vatican announced on Wednesday.

The trip will be his first major overseas journey of 2026 and comes as the Catholic Church continues to record rapid growth across the continent, which is home to about 20 per cent of the world’s Catholics.

The pontiff, elected in May to succeed Pope Francis, is expected to draw large crowds and promote development as well as Catholic-Muslim dialogue during the visit.

Algeria, a predominantly Muslim nation, will be hosting a pope for the first time. Leo, a member of the Augustinian order, has shown special interest in the country, the birthplace of St. Augustine.

The Vatican also confirmed that the pope will visit Monaco on March 28 and travel to Spain from June 6 to 12. During his Spain trip, he is expected to visit the Canary Islands, a key entry point for migrants into Europe.

The last papal visit to Africa was in 2023, when Pope Francis travelled to Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.