- Pope Leo would spend “ten days in Africa, between Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, in April.”
- A day trip to the Principality of Monaco at the end of March
- A six-day Journey to between Madrid, Barcelona, Tenerife and Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands’ archipelago of Spain, in June
- Historic journey to Algeria in honour of St. Augustine of Hippo, founder of the Pope’s Congregation
- The Pope will visit Cameroon in Central Africa, with stops in Yaoundé, Bamenda, and Douala, and in Angola, Luanda, Muxima, and Saurimo
- Pilgrimage to culminate in Equatorial Guinea, the only Spanish-speaking African country, where the Pope will visit Malabo, Mongomo, and Bata.
The Vatican Press Office has released an update to Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming apostolic journeys to Africa and other European countries.
The Vatican disclosed that the first journey would be a day trip, at the end of March, to the Principality of Monaco, which will be followed by the longest Journey to Africa in April, and finally a six-day Journey to Spain in June.
“Pope Leo XIV will make a ten-day Apostolic Journey to Africa and two others in Europe,” the Holy See Press announced on Wednesday.
According to the Vatican, Pope Leo would spend “ten days in Africa, between Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, in April; one day in the Principality of Monaco at the end of March; six days in Spain, between Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands archipelago, in June.”
The statement indicates that the longest of the Pope’s journeys will be to Africa and would take place from 13 to 23 April 2026, where Pope Leo would make a historic tour to the hometown of St. Augustine at Algiers and Annaba in Algeria.
The journey to Algeria will be a complex, historic, and significant visit, which is a journey in memory of St. Augustine of Hippo, a 4th-century Church Father and theologian, to whose figure Pope Leo XIV is connected.
Pope Leo XIV is a member of the Order of St. Augustine (OSA), which was founded in 1244 by Pope Innocent IV and named after St. Augustine of Hippo, who wrote the rule in the 5th century.
Algeria is predominantly a Muslim country with over 99% of its population identifying as Sunni Muslims following the Maliki school, and the constitution of the country makes Islam a state religion but also guarantees freedom of belief.
The remaining part of the population in Algeria (less than 1%) consists of Christians, Jews, and other minorities.
After the visit to Algeria, a Muslim majority country and a Christian minority, the Holy Father will go to countries with a Christian majority situated in the heart of the African Continent, with their challenges but also with a joyful testimony of faith.
The Apostolic Journey to other countries in Africa will focus on peace and justice, with particular attention to the least, the poor, and those who care for them.
The Press noted that the Pope will visit Cameroon in Central Africa, with stops in Yaoundé, Bamenda, and Douala, and in Angola, he would visit Luanda, Muxima, and Saurimo.
In Cameroon, the Holy Father would visit the Anglophone region in the North of Cameroon, where for over ten years a humanitarian crisis has been fought involving the separatist group and the country’s armed forces.
The final stage of the Pope’s journey in Africa will culminate in Equatorial Guinea, the only Spanish-speaking African country, where he will visit Malabo, Mongomo, and Bata.
The length of Pope Leo’s visit to Africa is similar to that of Pope John Paul II in 1985, when he visited seven African countries in eleven days.
In Europe, Leo XIV will pay a day trip to the Principality of Monaco, scheduled to take place on 28 March 2026, on the eve of Holy Week, which will mark the beginning of the Holy Father’s Apostolic Journeys for the first half of 2026.
While Catholicism is recognized as the official religion in Monaco, with about 83-93% of the population identifying as Catholics, the constitution guarantees freedom of religion and public worship.
In Monaco, it is the Pope’s desire to respond positively to repeated invitations made by the Monegasque authorities, first to Pope Francis and then to himself.
The Apostolic visit to Monaco is significant and historic to the country, which will mark the papal visit for the first time in the modern era.
The Press stated that Pope Leo would make the final trip of his Apostolic Journeys of the first half of 2026 from 6 to 12 June 2026 in Spain, first to Madrid and then Barcelona, where he will inaugurate the newest and tallest tower of the Sagrada Família, the monumental basilica that has reshaped the skyline of the Catalan city.
The visit falls on the 100th anniversary of the death of Antoni Gaudí, the brilliant architect, who designed and began the building of the basilica, and who was declared Venerable Servant of God in 2025.
While the journey to Spain would last for six days, the Holy Father will visit Tenerife and Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands archipelago of Spain, to fulfill the journey that was at the heart of the late Pope Francis.
The diverse and wide destinations through these Apostolic Journeys will allow Pope Leo to explore the most diverse countries, cultures, and situations on the global map.
