Pope Leo XIV will visit four African countries from April 13 to 23, 2026, marking his first major overseas trip of the year and highlighting the Catholic Church’s growing presence on the continent.
The Vatican announced the itinerary on Wednesday, February 25, 2026. The pope will travel to:
– Algeria
– Angola
– Equatorial Guinea
– Cameroon
He is expected to draw large crowds, call on world leaders to support African development, and promote Catholic-Muslim dialogue.
The trip underscores the Vatican’s priority for Africa, where the Church is expanding most rapidly. About 20% of the world’s Catholics now live on the continent, according to Vatican statistics.
Vatican officials and African Church leaders describe the visit as a strong signal of the Church’s commitment to the region.
“Pope Leo’s visit will remind the world that Africa matters and the vibrancy of the Church in Africa remains at the heart of a thriving (global) Church,” said Reverend Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, a Jesuit from Nigeria and former leader of Jesuit communities across Africa.
This will be the first-ever papal visit to Algeria, an overwhelmingly Muslim nation with a small Catholic population of a few thousand among its 47 million people. Pope Leo, a member of the Augustinian order, has a particular interest in the country due to its historical connection to St. Augustine of Hippo, a foundational figure in early Christianity born in what is now Algeria.
The last papal visit to Africa was in 2023, when Pope Francis travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. Pope Benedict XVI visited Angola and Cameroon in 2009, while Pope John Paul II was the last pontiff to visit Equatorial Guinea in 1982.
The upcoming tour will “shine the spotlight on countries in Africa that have experienced high religious growth but struggled politically and economically,” Orobator added.
In addition to the African journey, Pope Leo will make:
– A one-day visit to Monaco on March 28, 2026
– A trip to Spain from June 6 to 12, 2026, which is expected to include the Canary Islands — a major entry point for migrants seeking to reach Europe
Later in the year, he is also scheduled to visit Peru in November, where he previously served as a missionary and bishop for many years.
Since his election in May 2025 to succeed the late Pope Francis, Pope Leo has made only one overseas trip so far to Turkey and Lebanon in late 2025 which was originally planned for his predecessor.
