Pope Leo XIV Plans 2026 Trips to Monaco, Africa, Spain

Pope Leo XIV announced plans Wednesday for a series of international trips in the first half of 2026, beginning with a one-day visit to Monaco and including a 10-day journey to four African nations, marking his most extensive foreign travel since becoming the first United States-born pontiff last May.

The Vatican detailed the pontiff's itinerary, which underscores the growing significance of Africa to the Roman Catholic Church. Leo, 70, will travel to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea from April 13 to 23, shortly after Easter. In Algeria, a North African nation where Islam is the state religion, he will spend April 13 to 15 in Algiers and Annaba, the latter near the ancient city of Hippo, birthplace and home of St. Augustine, the fifth-century theologian who inspired Leo's Augustinian order. This will be the first papal visit to Algeria, expected to emphasize interfaith dialogue between Christians and Muslims. The trip comes three decades after the 1990s civil war, during which seven French Trappist monks were killed.

From Algeria, Leo will proceed to Cameroon for visits to Yaoundé, Bamenda and Douala between April 15 and 18. Officials anticipate he will address...