Pope Leo to visit four African countries in April

Pope Leo to visit four African countries in April1 hour agoPaul NjieBBC Africa, YaoundéAFP via Getty ImagesPope Leo visited Africa several times before he became the leader of the Catholic ChurchPope Leo XIV will begin a 10-day visit to four African countries on 13 April, marking his first pastoral trip to the continent, the Vatican has announced.He will travel to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.In Cameroon, the Pope will visit the capital Yaoundé, the economic hub Douala, and the Anglophone city of Bamenda in the restive Northwest region, where an armed conflict has been raging for nearly 10 years.This is the first time that a pope will visit Algeria, whose population is mostly Muslim.In December, he expressed his desire to visit the continent, citing Algeria, the birthplace of St Augustine of Hippo, as a potential destination. The pontiff belongs to the Augustinian religious order and had previously called for interfaith dialogue in the North African country.While it will be the Pope's first pastoral visit to Africa since assuming the leadership of the Catholic Church, he is no stranger to the continent. As Cardinal Robert Prevost, he visited several countries including Kenya and Tanzania. His decision to travel to the continent highlights Africa's growing importance to the church - it is home to about 20% of the world's Catholics.In January, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, Archbishop of Kinshasa and President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar hinted at the Pope's plans to visit Africa in April."When the Pope visits a country, especially countries in crisis like ours, it is also to give hope to the people, especially people who are suffering," the cardinal said in an interview with Vatican News after meeting the pontiff.The Pope's visit to Africa follows his first foreign trip to Turkey and Lebanon late last year, where he called for peace and reconciliation in the Middle East.The last papal trip to Africa took place in February 2023, when Leo's predecessor, Pope Francis, visited the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.The official programme of the Pope's activities during his tour is yet to be released.However, Vatican News reports that the tour from April 13 to 23, will include stops in Algiers and Annaba in Algeria; Yaoundé, Bamenda and Douala in Cameroon; Luanda, Muxima and Saurimo in Angola; and Malabo, Mongomo and Bata in Equatorial Guinea, the continent's only Spanish‑speaking nation.More about Pope Leo XIV from the BBC:Getty Images/BBCBBC Africa podcasts