Pope Leo will set off on Monday for his first historic overseas journey of 2026, a ten-day tour across four African nations aimed at drawing global attention to the continent’s challenges and opportunities.
The visit, spanning April 13–23, will take him to 11 cities and towns in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, covering nearly 18,000 kilometres and involving 18 flights.
Cardinal Michael Czerny described the trip as a mission “to help turn the world’s attention to Africa,” revealing that the pope’s decision to prioritise the continent early in his pontificate shows its importance.
More than a fifth of the world’s Catholics live in Africa, where the Church is expanding faster than anywhere else.
The 70-year-old pontiff, the first from the United States (US), has made only a handful of international visits since succeeding Pope Francis last May.
His African itinerary includes 25 speeches, meetings with political leaders, and encounters with local communities.
In Algeria, he will encourage Catholic-Muslim dialogue and visit the Great Mosque of Algiers, while in Annaba he will tour the ruins of Hippo, birthplace of St Augustine, a figure central to his Augustinian order.
In Cameroon, Pope Leo will preside over a “meeting for peace” in Bamenda, a city scarred by years of conflict between government forces and separatists.
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His journey will also take him to Bata in Equatorial Guinea, where he will pray at the site of deadly 2021 explosions at a military barracks.
According to reports, Equatorial Guinea, with more than 70 per cent Catholic, has not hosted a papal visit since 1982.
African Church leaders say the tour indicates both the resilience of local communities and the Vatican’s recognition of Africa’s pivotal role in Catholicism’s future.
Nigerian Jesuit Rev Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator called it “an opportunity to bring a message of hope, peace, and reconciliation to places where instability and intolerance have fuelled crises.”
For many, the visit carries symbolic weight. “The choice of Africa for this tour is not random.
“It is here that many of the world’s challenges are concentrated, but also where they can be re-imagined,” Angolan lawyer Djamila Cassoma was quoted saying.
Leo’s trip will be the 24th papal tour of Africa since the late 1960s, continuing a tradition of engagement with a continent that Vatican officials describe as “vibrant and alive.”