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Pope Leo XIV starts a four-nation sojourn to Africa Monday, visiting nan fastest-growing continent for the Catholic Church arsenic he embarks connected his 4th overseas travel since becoming pontiff successful 2025.
While nan travel does not see nan continent’s astir populous federation of Nigeria — wherever thousands of nan religious person been killed for their belief beliefs — it originates successful nan Muslim-majority state of Algeria.
The Vatican has called nan travel "A pilgrim successful Africa." The main themes Leo is expected to reside see peace, migration, nan environment, young group and nan family, according to nan Holy See. He will make 25 speeches successful 4 of Africa’s main languages — French, English, Portuguese and Spanish.
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Pope Leo XIV to sojourn Algeria connected April 13, 2026. (Fateh Guidoum/AP Photo)
Analysts and clerics are keen to accent nan wide value of this sojourn to nan continent. "I judge nan Holy Father is stepping pinch nan African church successful nan discourse of nan world church," Rev. Daniel Male, caput of nan Union of Augustinian Friars of Africa, told nan Religion News Service. He added, "he is affirming nan African churches’ maturation and vibrancy and is besides making a connection that nan religion has a preferential action for nan mediocre and those astatine nan margins."
The Catholic OSV News added nan sojourn "highlights bid efforts, nan useful of mercy, and nan Catholic Church’s vibrant beingness connected nan continent."
The National Catholic Register stated that successful 1910 Africa was location to little than 1 cardinal Catholics. The latest figures disposable for 2024 estimate there are now 288 million.
Thousands of Catholics greeted Pope Francis erstwhile he visited Kinshasa, Congo, successful Feb, 2023. (Jerome Delay/AP Photo)
Commenting connected his absence from Nigeria, Frans Cronje, African-based expert astatine nan Yorktown Foundation for Freedom, told Fox News Digital "Given Nigeria's domiciled arsenic nan epicenter of nan panic threat faced by Africa's Christians, it will beryllium disappointing to galore of them to study that nan pope has near that state disconnected his Africa agenda. The state has go crushed zero for nan world Islamist panic threat."
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Pope Leo XIV delivers nan Urbi et Orbi blessing — Latin for "to nan metropolis of Rome and to nan world" — from nan cardinal loggia of St. Peter's Basilica astatine nan extremity of Easter Mass he presided complete successful St. Peter's Square astatine nan Vatican, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)
The pontiff must beryllium invited to a state by nan big government. Analysts opportunity that nan government of Nigeria whitethorn feel a papal sojourn whitethorn beryllium excessively delicate astatine this time. But nan Nigerian authorities did not respond to requests for remark connected this rumor by Fox News Digital.
Details of nan travel include:
Algeria: April 13 to April 15
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The Vatican’s yearbook for 2025, nan Annuario Pontificio, states Catholics number 8,740 retired of a organization of 46–48 million. The pope is believed to beryllium coming to Algeria to sojourn nan ancient metropolis of Hippo, now called Annaba. The metropolis was location to St. Augustine, nan ‘doctor of nan church.’ Pope Leo is nan first pontiff to beryllium to nan Augustinian Order.
He is besides expected to stress interfaith speech pinch Islam erstwhile he visits nan Great Mosque of Algiers. This is 1 of nan biggest successful nan world, tin of accommodating up to 120,000 people.
Algeria prepares for sojourn of Pope Leo XIV (Fateh Guidoum/AP Photo)
The 2026 Open Doors World Watch List placed Algeria successful nan 20th position for Christian persecution. It said 47 churches of nan Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA) person been closed by nan authorities.
The Associated Press reported that Algerian authorities rejected a Vatican petition for Leo to sojourn to Médéa to believe astatine the Tibhirine monastery, nan spot wherever 7 French Trappist monks were kidnapped and killed May 21, 1996, by Islamic extremists during nan country’s civilian war.
Cameroon: April 15 to April 18
The Catholic EWTN statement reports that Catholics dress up betwixt 30% and 35% of nan organization of immoderate 30 million.
The pope will preside complete 5 nationalist Masses and addresses successful 3 cities. He will besides meet pinch susceptible children astatine nan Ngul Zamba Orphanage successful nan superior metropolis of Yaoundé.
A section sits beneath hanging Catholic devotional scarves and banners, including images of Our Lady of Fatima, Jesus Christ and Pope Leo XIV, extracurricular Our Lady of Fatima Parish, a religion identified by Catholic officials arsenic 1 of nan sites expected to beryllium visited by Pope Leo XIV during a planned travel to nan country, successful Luanda, Angola, April 12, 2026 (Cesar Muginga/ Reuters)
Angola: April 18 to April 21
In nan latest authorities census, immoderate 56% of Angola’s organization identified arsenic being Catholic.
The astir important portion of nan pope’s sojourn to Angola is expected to beryllium erstwhile he goes to nan municipality of Muxima, wherever he will believe astatine a shrine to nan Virgin Mary, known locally arsenic "Mama Muxima", aliases "mother of nan heart." This is said to beryllium nan belief location for galore Angolans, drafting complete 2 cardinal pilgrims to visit it each year.
Pope Leo XIV will sojourn Angola successful April 2026. (Marco Longari/AFP via Getty Images)
Equatorial Guinea: April 21 to April 23
The Vatican has stated that astir 80% of nan organization of Equatorial Guinea are Catholic. Leo will clasp respective Masses and addresses, and will sojourn a caller psychiatric infirmary and a prison. The Jean Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital successful Sampaka, Malabo, was only inaugurated successful December and is nan country’s first modern specialized intelligence wellness facility. It collaborates pinch France’s Hospital Saint-Anne successful Paris.
In a perchance arguable move, nan pope will besides sojourn a situation successful Bata notorious for reports of inmate torture and abuse.
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The Vatican did not respond to Fox News Digital questions by property time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Paul Tilsley is simply a seasoned analogous who has reported from 4 continents for much than 3 decades. Based successful Johannesburg, South Africa, he tin beryllium followed connected X @paultilsley.
