Pope Leo XIV begins four-nation Africa trip as Catholic church surges

Pope Leo XIV begins a four-nation visit to Africa on Monday, visiting the Catholic Church’s fastest-growing continent as he embarks on his fourth foreign trip since becoming pope in 2025.

The trip begins in Muslim-majority Algeria, although it does not include Nigeria, the continent’s most populous country, where thousands of believers have been killed for their religious beliefs.

The Vatican called the trip “a pilgrimage in Africa.” According to the Vatican, the main themes Leo is expected to address include peace, migration, environment, young people and family. He will give 25 talks in Africa’s four main languages ​​(French, English, Portuguese and Spanish).

POPE LEO

Analysts and clergy are keen to emphasize the overall importance of this visit to the continent. “I believe that the Holy Father walks with the African church in the context of the global church,” said the Rev. Daniel Male, secretary of the Union of Augustinian Priests of Africa. He told Religion News Service. He added: “It confirms the growth and vitality of African churches and also notes that the church has a privileged option for the poor and the marginalized.”

Catholic OSV News added that the visit “highlights peace efforts, works of mercy and the vibrant presence of the Catholic Church on the continent.”

The National Catholic Register stated that in 1910 Africa was home to fewer than 1 million Catholics. The latest available figures for the 2024 forecast are currently 288 million.

When Pope Francis visited Kinshasa, Congo, in February 2023, thousands of Catholics greeted him. (Jerome Delay/AP Photo)

Commenting on his absence from Nigeria, Frans Cronje, Africa-based analyst for the Yorktown Freedom Foundation, told Fox News Digital: “Given Nigeria’s role as the epicenter of the terrorist threat faced by Christians in Africa, it will be disappointing for many to learn that the pope has left this country off his African agenda. The country has become ground zero for the global Islamist terrorist threat.”

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Pontiff Leo (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)

The pope must be invited to a country by the host government. Analysts say the Nigerian government may think the papal visit may be too sensitive at this time. However, the Nigerian government did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment on this matter.

Details of the trip are as follows:

Algeria: 13 April – 15 April

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Vatican yearbook for 2025 Annual PontificioIt states that 8,740 people out of a population of 46-48 million are Catholic. It is thought that the Pope will come to Algeria to visit the ancient city of Hippo, now known as Annaba. The city is the ‘doctor of the church’, St. It was Augustine’s house. Pope Leo is the first priest of the Augustinian Order.

He is also expected to emphasize interfaith dialogue with Islam while visiting the Grand Mosque of Algiers. It is one of the largest in the world, with a capacity to accommodate up to 120,000 people.

Algeria prepares for the visit of Pope Leo XIV (Fetih Guidoum/AP Photo)

2026 Open Doors World Watch List placed Algeria It ranks 20th in Christian persecution. It was stated that 47 churches of the Algerian Protestant Church (EPA) were closed by the authorities.

The Associated Press reported that Algerian officials rejected the Vatican’s request for Leo to visit Médéa and pray at the Tibhirine monastery; Here, seven French Trappist monks were kidnapped and killed by Islamic extremists on May 21, 1996, during the country’s civil war.

Cameroon: 15 April – 18 April

The Catholic organization EWTN reports that Catholics make up 30% to 35% of the population of about 30 million.

The pope will preside over five public Masses and lectures in three cities. He will also meet with vulnerable children at the Ngul Zamba Orphanage in the capital Yaoundé.

A local sits beneath hanging Catholic devotional scarves and banners, including images of the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ and Pope Leo XIV, outside the Parish of Our Lady of Fatima, a church identified by Catholic officials as one of the sites expected to be visited by Pope Leo XIV during a planned trip to the country in Luanda, Angola, April 12, 2026 (Cesar Muginga/ Reuters)

Angola: 18 April – 21 April

The last government census stated that approximately 56% of Angola’s population is Catholic.

The highlight of the Pope’s visit to Angola is expected to be in the town of Muxima, where he will pray at the shrine of Our Lady, known locally as “Mama Muxima” or “mother of the heart.” It is said to be the spiritual home of many Angolans and attracts more than two million pilgrims every year.

Pope Leo XIV will visit Angola in April 2026. (Marco Longari/AFP via Getty Images)

Equatorial Guinea: 21 April – 23 April

The Vatican has stated that approximately 80% of Equatorial Guinea’s population is Catholic. Leo will hold various rituals and speeches and visit a new psychiatric hospital and prison. The Jean Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital in Sampaka, Malabo, opened just in December and is the country’s first modern, specialized mental health facility. It collaborates with Saint-Anne Hospital in Paris, France.

In a potentially controversial move, the pope will also visit a prison in Bata that is notorious for reports of torture and mistreatment of prisoners.

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The Vatican did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions by press time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.