Pope Leo XIV calls on Algeria’s leaders to turn deserts and seas into symbols of peace and fraternity during his Apostolic Journey to Algiers.
Newsroom (13/04/2026 Gaudium Press ) On his first Apostolic Journey to Algeria, Pope Leo XIV issued a moving appeal for unity, fraternity, and solidarity, urging societies to create “oases of peace” where human dignity is never exploited and life remains sacred. Speaking before civil authorities, diplomats, and representatives of Algerian society, the Pope framed his message around shared humanity and the moral imperative to transform conflict and division into coexistence and understanding.
The Pope’s address took place at the Djamaa el Djazair Conference Center in the capital, following a meeting with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune at the presidential palace. The visit marks the first year of Pope Leo’s ministry and his third visit to the country—previously traveling to Annaba, ancient Hippo, in 2001 and 2013, as he described, “a spiritual son of St. Augustine.”
A Pilgrim of Peace
“I come as a pilgrim of peace,” the Pope declared, reminding the audience that “we are brothers and sisters, for we have the same Father in heaven.” His words framed the journey as both pastoral and diplomatic—an invitation to bridge divisions and nurture dialogue in a world increasingly marked by social fragmentation.
The Pontiff praised Algeria’s “culture of encounter and reconciliation” and its deep-rooted traditions of solidarity and hospitality. He highlighted the country’s longstanding practice of almsgiving—a reflection, he said, of a profound sense of justice that sees God’s image in every person. “A religion without mercy and a society without solidarity are a scandal in God’s eyes,” he warned.
A Call for Dialogue and Justice
To the leaders gathered, Pope Leo XIV offered a clear challenge: lead with empathy and courage. “By respecting the dignity of everyone and allowing yourselves to be moved by the pain of others, instead of multiplying misunderstandings and conflicts, you can surely become protagonists of a new chapter in history,” he said.
Drawing on the legacy of his predecessors, Popes Benedict XVI and Francis, he called for a globalization of participation—social, political, and economic—rooted in justice and inclusivity. “Do not fear this outlook,” he insisted. “Promote a vibrant, dynamic, and free civil society, in which young people in particular are recognized as capable of broadening the horizon of hope for all.”
Algeria: A Bridge Between Worlds
Turning his focus to Algeria’s unique geography, bordered by both the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert, Pope Leo portrayed the nation as a crossroads of civilizations—“a bridge between peoples and hemispheres.” These landscapes, he said, are not merely physical terrains but spiritual symbols. “For the sea and the desert have been places of mutual enrichment among peoples and cultures for millennia. Woe to us if we turn them into graveyards where hope also dies!”
He implored his audience to free these “reservoirs of history and of the future” from evil and exploitation. “Let us multiply oases of peace; let us denounce and remove the causes of despair; and let us oppose those who profit from the misfortune of others!” His appeal linked environmental integrity with moral responsibility, urging Algerians to make their land and sea places “of life, encounter, and wonder.”
Confronting Modern Tensions
Acknowledging the challenges of contemporary Algerian society, Pope Leo XIV spoke candidly about the tension between faith and modernity. Both fundamentalism and secularization, he noted, have tested the nation’s cultural balance. “Religious symbols and words can become, on the one hand, blasphemous languages of violence and oppression, or on the other, empty signs in the immense marketplace of consumption that does not satisfy us,” he said.
His counsel to the nation’s leaders was to resist despair in the face of “absurd polarizations,” seeing them instead as signs of renewal. “We are living in an extraordinary time of great renewal,” he remarked. “Those who keep their hearts free, and their consciences alert, can draw from the great spiritual and religious traditions new ways of seeing the world and an unshakable purpose in life.”
A Message Beyond Borders
Pope Leo XIV’s message resonated beyond the walls of the conference center, echoing through a country that has long stood as a meeting point of Africa, the Arab world, and the Mediterranean. His vision of deserts and seas as “oases of peace” served not only as a reflection on Algeria’s identity but as a metaphor for a humanity in search of reconciliation.
As his Apostolic Journey continues over the coming days, the Pope’s words will serve as both a challenge and an invitation—to Algeria, and to the world—to rediscover the divine image in one another and transform the vast spaces that divide us into sanctuaries of shared hope.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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