Pope Leo XIV has revealed plans for a potential 2026 visit to Africa, naming Algeria as a key destination on a tour that could mark his next major international trip.
The pontiff disclosed this on Tuesday during a press conference aboard the papal plane as he returned from a six-day visit to Turkey and Lebanon—his first overseas journey since assuming office in May.
“I hope to make a trip to Africa, which could be my next trip. Personally, I hope to go to Algeria to visit the places from the life of Saint Augustine,” he said.
The Vatican later confirmed that the prospective itinerary may also include stops in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.
However, Nigeria is not listed as part of the countries that Pope Leo would visit.
Pope Leo, who leads the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, also expressed a strong desire to visit Latin America, including Argentina, Uruguay and Peru, where he spent more than two decades as a missionary.
A member of the Augustinian order—which traces its roots to the 13th century and has nearly 3,000 members in about 50 countries—the pope said a visit to Algeria would support ongoing efforts to strengthen dialogue between Christians and Muslims.
“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,” the 70-year-old pontiff noted.
