Pope Leo XIV plans Africa trip with stop in Angola

Pope Leo XIV is planning an upcoming visit to Africa that will include a stop in Angola, according to a Vatican representative speaking in Luanda on Tuesday. It would mark the first papal visit to the continent since Pope Francis travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan in early 2023.

Apostolic Nuncio Kryspin Dubiel told reporters that Angola is on the itinerary, though details of the timing and programme have yet to be finalised. He said preparations are already underway and further information will be shared once plans are confirmed.

The U.S.-born pontiff, elected last May, has previously said he hopes to visit Algeria this year as part of his Africa trip, underlining his intention to re-engage the Vatican with the continent early in his papacy.

The last pope to visit Angola was Benedict XVI in March 2009. The southern African nation, a former Portuguese colony that gained independence in 1975, remains deeply religious, with about 44 percent of its population identifying as Catholic and 35 percent as Protestant, according to the 2024 census.