Pope Leo XIV to visit Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea on his first pastoral tour of Africa from April 13 to 23, 2026.
Newsroom (25/02/2026 Gaudium Press ) The Vatican has formally announced that Pope Leo XIV will make his first pastoral visit to Africa as Pontiff from April 13 to 23, 2026. The Holy See confirmed on Wednesday, February 25, that the 11-day journey will take the Holy Father to four African nations—Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea—in what is expected to be a landmark Apostolic mission for the continent.
According to the official statement, the Pope’s itinerary includes major cities and diocesan centers across the four countries. From April 13 to 15, the Pontiff will visit Algiers and Annaba in Algeria, before traveling to Cameroon for pastoral stops in Yaoundé, Bamenda, and Douala from April 15 to 18. The journey will then continue to Angola, where Pope Leo XIV is expected in Luanda, Muxima, and Saurimo from April 18 to 21. The Apostolic trip will conclude in Equatorial Guinea, where the Pope will visit Malabo, Mongomo, and Bata between April 21 and 23.
Vatican officials stated that the pastoral journey is being carried out in response to “invitations of the respective Heads of State and Ecclesiastical Authorities,” adding that a detailed program of the papal tour will be released in the coming weeks.
Preparations Underway in Angola and Equatorial Guinea
While Cameroon and Algeria have yet to formally issue national confirmations, Angola and Equatorial Guinea publicly acknowledged the Papal visit weeks ahead of the Vatican’s announcement. On January 13, Archbishop Kryspin Witold Dubiel, the Apostolic Nuncio to Angola, confirmed that Pope Leo XIV had accepted invitations from both the country’s bishops and President João Lourenço.
Calling for national unity and spiritual readiness, Archbishop Dubiel invited Angolan citizens to embrace the visit as a sacred opportunity to “rediscover the values that have shaped the Angolan people” and to share those values with global communities.
In a similar message, Archbishop José Manuel Imbamba, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Angola and São Tomé (CEAST), urged local parishes and lay groups to take part in national committees aimed at preparing for the Papal events. “Each of these committees should give their best in the preparation, promotion, and realization of all tasks assigned,” he said.
Just ten days later, Equatorial Guinea followed suit. On January 23, the country’s Press Department (PDGE) confirmed that President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo had met with members of the Episcopal Conference of Equatorial Guinea (CEGE) to initiate logistical planning. The government and Church leadership jointly described the upcoming visit as “a historic occasion” that would deepen national faith and global recognition.
During a media briefing, President Obiang expressed that Equatorial Guinea would “mobilize the population to give it the apotheosic sense that the Holy Father deserves.” He highlighted the visit’s potential to enhance the country’s international image, saying it would show “a good impression of the population and the name of Equatorial Guinea at the international level.”
A Historic Return of the Papacy to Equatorial Guinea
Bishop Juan Domingo-Beka Esono Ayang of Mongono, President of CEGE, welcomed the announcement as a moment of spiritual renewal. He noted that it will mark the first papal visit to the nation in 44 years—the last one being that of St. John Paul II on February 18, 1982. Calling on the faithful to prepare spiritually and communally, Bishop Domingo-Beka invited all parishes and Catholic institutions to unite around three guiding actions: “prepare, receive, and live this pastoral visit of the Holy Father.”
For both Angola and Equatorial Guinea, the Papal journey is expected to reaffirm the Church’s commitment to evangelization, peace, and social harmony across the Sub-Saharan region.
Pope Leo XIV and His Connection to Africa
Pope Leo XIV, elected in May 2025, holds a unique place among his predecessors as the first Pontiff in modern history with firsthand experience across the African continent. Before his election, he had visited communities in Eastern, Western, Southern, Northern, and Central Africa. His upcoming journey, therefore, carries not only diplomatic and pastoral dimensions but also a deep personal resonance.
As Vatican officials finalize the tour’s program, Church observers note that this first Apostolic journey of Pope Leo XIV to Africa is poised to become a defining moment of his early papacy—one that may strengthen the bonds between the Catholic Church and one of its fastest-growing regions.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from ACI Africa
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