Pope Leo XIV landed in Algeria on Monday, April 13, 2026, making him the first pope to visit the country. The three-day stop is the first leg of an 11-day apostolic trip that will also take him to Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.

According to the Vatican, the visit acknowledges Algeria’s early Christian history. A key part of the itinerary is a pilgrimage to Annaba, the site of ancient Hippo, where St. Augustine was bishop in the late fourth and early fifth centuries. As the first pope from the Augustinian order, Leo will tour the archaeological remains of Hippo and celebrate Mass at the Basilica of Saint Augustine.

His first day in Algiers includes a meeting with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, an address to government officials and diplomats, and a visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers, which accommodates up to 120,000 worshippers.

Bishop Diego Sarrió Cucarella of Laghouat said the Catholic community in Algeria is defined by “presence, not numbers,” noting that many Algerians may view the pope as “a man of peace a brother seeking peace with the brethren.”

Algeria is more than 99% Muslim and has a Catholic population of under 9,000. It ranks 20th on the 2026 Open Doors World Watch List, with 47 Protestant churches closed by authorities in recent years. Algerian officials declined a Vatican request for the pope to visit the Tibhirine monastery, site of the 1996 kidnapping and killing of seven French Trappist monks.

Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco of Algiers said the trip continues the priorities of Pope Francis and described it as focused on “meeting each other in our humanity.” He added that Algerians recognize St. Augustine as “a son of that land.”

The pope’s Africa journey runs through April 23. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the themes will include peace, migration, youth, and the environment, with no special security measures planned.

Source: Vatican News / Multiple reports.