The Pope has embarked on an 11-day tour of Africa with one country visit that holds deep significance to the head of the Vatican – amid comments made by President Trump
Pope Leo XIV has made it a ‘personal priority’ to visit the African nations with the fastest growing number of Catholics.
In an 11-day trip, Pope Leo wants to “turn the world’s attention to Africa” according to a senior Vatican official. The tour will reflect Africa’s increasing importance to to Catholicism, as the Vatican says a recent survey shows a “remarkable increase” in the number of baptised Catholics on the continent.
Addressing themes of peace, migration and dialogue between religions, more than a fifth of the world’s Catholics live in Africa, which is roughly 288 million people – making it one of the fastest growing regions.
In his second major foreign tour since being elected, and becoming history’s first US-born Pope, it will include visits to 11 cities in four countries – Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea.
READ MORE: Pope Leo hits back at Donald Trump over Iran – ‘Misunderstanding the Gospel’
All countries but Algeria are have a large Catholic following, making his visit there the first by any pope. The North African country holds “deep significance” to him, as it’s the birthplace of St Augustine, and Pope Leo XIV is the first pontiff from the order that follows his teachings according to BBC.
The ideas of the 4th Century North African theologian, such as community and humility, are what helped shape him in becoming the leader of the Catholic Church, and he will visit the region where he was a bishop, and celebrate Mass there.
He will also have talks with Islamic community, which is a key focus for his visit, aiming to promote Christian-Muslim coexistence at a time when there is global conflict.
The Rector of the Basilica, Father Peter Claver Kogh, told the BBC that he expected Pope Leo would “encourage us in our faith and in our mission to build a new world. A world where there is peace and where people live together in harmony.”
There is only a small Catholic community in Algeria made up of around 9,000 people who are mostly foreign compared to the Sunni Muslim community of around 47 million.
“It’s wonderful to be able to show that we can be brothers and sisters together, building a society despite our different religions”, the archbishop of Algiers, French Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco said. “And that is what our church has been doing since this country gained independence.”
The visit comes after Pope Leo says he will continue to speak out against the Iran war after Donald Trump claimed he wasn’t doing a good job. The head of the Catholic Church said the Vatican’s appeals for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel, and that he didn’t fear the Trump administration.
It followed Donald Trump taking aim at the Pope over his claim that the war in Iran is being fuelled by a “delusion of omnipotence”. The Pope also called on political leaders to seek peace.
The US president said on Truth Social that the Pope was “WEAK on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy”. He even claimed: “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.”
Speaking to reporters on board the papal plane, the Pope said: “To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is. And I’m sorry to hear that but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.
