Pope Francis begins historic visit to Algeria at the start of his African tour

Pope Leo XIV, the head of the Vatican, arrived in Algeria on Monday for a historic visit, the first by a pontiff to the country, according to Agence France-Presse.

According to Algerian media, Pope Leo XIV’s plane landed at Houari Boumediene Airport in the eastern suburbs of the Algerian capital at 10 o’clock, and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was at the head of those receiving him.

Algeria will be the first stop on a four-country African tour, as the Pope travels to Algeria for two days to continue building bridges between the Christian and Islamic worlds, Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop of Algiers, told AFP.

Then the Pope will travel to Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea on a tour that runs from April 13 to 23.

The importance of the Pope's visit to Algeria

This visit carries a strong personal dimension for the Pope, as he will be following in the footsteps of Saint Augustine, the great Christian thinker of the fourth century.

Agence France-Presse reported that peaceful coexistence would be at the heart of the Pope's message in the country of 47 million people, the majority of whom are Muslims – namely Algeria.

Algeria is preparing to welcome the Pope.

Algeria was decorated for this historic visit, and an atmosphere resembling grand celebrations prevailed in the capital. The walls of some facades were repainted, some roads were repaved, green spaces were decorated with plants, and flowers were placed on part of the route that the Pope's delegation was supposed to take.

In some neighborhoods, such as Bab El Oued, the work continued throughout the night, sometimes causing traffic jams until late hours.

Authorities began setting up barriers along the Pope's route on Saturday afternoon. However, no public events will be held in the capital.

Pope Leo XIV will pause to pray privately in the chapel of the nineteen martyrs of Algeria, priests and nuns who were assassinated during the civil war (1992-2002).