Vatican announces Pope Leo XIV’s 11-day pastoral visit to 4 African countries in April

The Vatican has announced that Pope Leo XIV will undertake his first pastoral visit to Africa as pontiff April 13–23.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Feb. 25, the Holy See confirmed that the Holy Father’s 11-day apostolic journey will take him to four African countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.

According to Vatican officials, the pope is to visit Algiers and Annaba in Algeria April 13–15; Yaoundé, Bamenda, and Douala in Cameroon April 15–18; Luanda, Muxima, and Saurimo in Angola April 18–21; and Malabo, Mongomo, and Bata in Equatorial Guinea April 21–23.

The pastoral visit is in response to “invitations of the respective heads of state and ecclesiastical authorities,” Vatican officials said, adding that “the program of the journey will be published at a later date.”

Angolan and Equatorial Guinean authorities had publicly confirmed plans for the papal visit in official communications weeks before the Vatican’s announcement.

At the time of the Holy See’s statement, neither Cameroon nor Algeria had issued their own formal confirmation of the scheduled trip.

Angola confirmed Pope Leo’s maiden visit to the continent on Jan. 13. Addressing journalists, the apostolic nuncio in the Southern African nation confirmed that the Holy Father had accepted invitations from both the Catholic bishops of Angola and the country’s president, João Lourenço.

Archbishop Kryspin Witold Dubiel invited all Angolan citizens to prepare for the papal visit and added: “I hope that the Holy Father’s visit will be an opportunity to rediscover the values that have shaped the Angolan people and to share these values with the diverse communities that live and work around the world.”

Archbishop José Manuel Imbamba, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe (CEAST), called upon Angolans to participate in the committees that will be established to prepare for the pope’s visit.

“Each of these committees should give their best in the preparation, promotion, and realization of all tasks assigned,” said Imbamba, the archbishop of Angola’s Saurimo Archdiocese.

In January, Equatorial Guinea joined Angola in confirming the anticipated journey. According to a report published on Jan. 23 by the press department of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE), the official announcement of the papal visit followed a high-level meeting between Equatorial Guinea’s president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, and the country’s Catholic bishops, signaling the beginning of coordinated preparations between the Church and the government for what was described as “a historic occasion.”

The report indicated that Equatorial Guinea’s head of state had met with members of the Episcopal Conference of Equatorial Guinea (CEGE) to “coordinate preparations for a historic occasion: the upcoming visit of Pope Leo XIV to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.”

Led by the CEGE president, Bishop Juan Domingo-Beka Esono Ayang of Mongono Diocese, the Catholic Church leaders discussed logistical and organizational arrangements with the country’s head of state.

Following the meeting, Obiang addressed the press, underscoring both the national significance and the international dimension of the papal visit.

He emphasized that Pope Leo XIV would be received with the highest level of public engagement, stating: “Equatorial Guinea is accustomed to receiving personalities, so it will mobilize the population to give it the apotheosic sense that the Holy Father deserves, to bring a good impression of the population and the name of Equatorial Guinea at the international level.”

Bishop Domingo-Beka described the anticipated visit as “a moment of grace and joy for the people of Ecuato Guinean,” noting that it will be the first time in 44 years that a pontiff sets foot in the country.

He called on the people of God in parishes and other Catholic institutions nationwide to begin immediate spiritual preparation, urging them to unite around three guiding actions: “prepare, receive, and live this pastoral visit of the Holy Father.”

The last papal visit to Equatorial Guinea took place on Feb. 18, 1982, when St. John Paul II arrived in the country, becoming the first and, until now, the only pontiff to do so.

Leo XIV is the first pope in modern history with firsthand knowledge of Africa. Unlike his predecessors, he has already been to Eastern, Western, Southern, Northern, and Central Africa in person.