Pope Leo XIV is set to embark on a 10-day pastoral tour of Africa from April 13 to 23, marking his first major international trip of 2026 to the continent where the Catholic Church is experiencing its fastest growth.
The Vatican announced on Wednesday that the pontiff will visit four African nations — Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon — during the trip.
He is expected to attract large crowds, encourage global leaders to invest more in Africa’s development, and promote interfaith dialogue, particularly between Christians and Muslims.
According to Vatican officials, the visit follows invitations from the respective heads of state and local ecclesiastical authorities. The detailed programme of the journey will be released at a later date.
In addition to the African tour, Pope Leo will make a one-day visit to Monaco on March 28 and travel to Spain from June 6 to 12.
Elected in May to succeed the late Pope Francis as leader of the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church, Pope Leo has undertaken only one foreign trip so far — a visit to Turkey and Lebanon in November and December, a journey originally planned for his predecessor.
Vatican officials and African Church leaders say the upcoming papal tour highlights the Church’s strong commitment to the continent and its rapidly growing Catholic population
