Wrapping up his first international trip as pontiff, Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday that he hopes to visit Algeria in 2026 as part of a broader voyage to Africa, which could become his next overseas destination.
“I hope to make a trip to Africa, which could be my next journey,” the US pope told reporters during a press conference aboard the papal plane as he returned from a six-day visit to Turkey and Lebanon.
“Personally, I hope to go to Algeria to visit the places linked to the life of Saint Augustine,” he said, referring to the fifth-century saint from North Africa.
Leo, who was elected in May, is a member of the Augustinian order, founded in the 13th century and now comprising nearly 3,000 members in about 50 countries.
Such a trip, he added, would allow the head of the Catholic Church to “continue the discourse of dialogue and bridge-building between the Christian and Muslim worlds.”
“The figure of Saint Augustine plays an important role as a bridge, because in Algeria he is highly respected as a son of the nation,” said the 70-year-old pontiff.
A visit to Africa could also include stops in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, a Vatican source told AFP.
Leo, leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, also said he would “very much” like to travel to “Latin America—Argentina, Uruguay,” as well as Peru, where he spent more than 20 years working as a missionary.
AFP
