Pope Leon XIV’s Program Revealed During His Upcoming Historic Visit to Algeria

The Archbishop of Algiers, Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, revealed details of Pope Leon XIV’s historic visit to Algeria from April 13 to 15, 2026, marking the first papal visit to the country, carrying a message of peace and interfaith fraternity, and reflecting Algeria’s status, as a hub for religious and cultural dialogue.

In an interview with the French newspaper “Le Parisien”, Jean-Paul Vesco confirmed that the Pope will arrive in Algiers on April 13 to meet with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune at the beginning of his visit.

Afterward, the Pope will preside over a mass at Our Lady of Africa Basilica and meet with the Christian community. He will also visit the Catholic monks who were killed during the Black Decade.

On the second day of the visit, the Pope will travel to Annaba province to visit the Basilica of Saint Augustine, which is one of the most prominent religious landmarks associated with Saint Augustine, one of the most important figures in the history of religious thought, born in North Africa.

Regarding the symbolic significance of this visit, the Archbishop of Algiers affirmed that it reflects the spirit of fraternity and interfaith dialogue, especially as it takes place in a Muslim country hosting the head of the Catholic Church.

The Cardinal also noted that the message of peace will be at the heart of this visit, recalling that the Pope’s first words after his election were “Peace be with you”, a phrase whose meaning converges with the Islamic greeting “Peace be upon you”.

Pope Leon XIV of the Vatican had announced on December 2, 2025, his desire to visit Algeria on his next trip. The Pope said in response to journalists’ questions on the return flight that took him to the Vatican after his visit to Lebanon, “I personally hope to travel to Algeria to visit the places associated with the life of Saint Augustine, and also to continue the dialogue and build bridges between the Christian world and the Islamic world.”

On February 25, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune held a meeting to evaluate the proceedings of the committee tasked with preparing for Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to Algeria.

The Vatican announced on its official website that Pope Leon XIV will visit Algiers and Annaba between April 13 and 15, as part of an African tour.