Pope Leo XIV Africa tour to spotlight conflict, justice and inequality

Pope Leo XIV is set to embark on his first major tour of Africa in April, a visit expected to blend prayer, diplomacy and strong calls for peace, justice and equality across the continent.

The head of the Catholic Church will travel to four countries — Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea — delivering seven masses and 11 speeches during the multi-day trip. The tour begins April 13 in Algiers, where he will meet President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and celebrate mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa, becoming the first pope to visit the North African nation.

In Cameroon, Leo XIV will meet longtime leader Paul Biya and travel to the conflict-hit city of Bamenda, where he is expected to issue a strong appeal for peace amid a decade-long separatist crisis.

The Angola leg will focus on social justice, including corruption, inequality and resource conflicts. In Luanda, the pope will meet diplomats before visiting religious and social institutions across the country.

The tour concludes in Equatorial Guinea, where Leo XIV will visit Malabo, Mongomo and Bata, meeting clergy, visiting a technology school and praying at a memorial for victims of a 2021 explosion.

The trip — his third abroad since his election in 2025 — underscores the Vatican’s focus on Africa, where issues of interfaith dialogue, peacebuilding and social inequality remain central to the pope’s message.