Pope prioritises world's fastest-growing Catholic region in major Africa tour

Pope Leo XIV wants to "turn the world's attention to Africa", according to a senior Vatican official, as he embarks on a significant tour of the continent addressing themes of peace, migration and dialogue between religions.The 11-day trip, which starts on Monday, is Pope Leo's second major foreign visit since being elected to the papacy in May last year, and is a reflection of Africa's increasing importance to Catholicism.More than a fifth of the world's Catholics are in Africa, some 288 million people, according to figures from 2024. It is one of the fastest-growing regions for the Church.The Vatican says its latest survey shows a "remarkable increase" in the number of baptised Catholics on the continent.Little wonder then that the trip is regarded as a personal priority for Pope Leo.The wide-ranging tour will include stop-offs in 11 cities in four countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. In all, the Pope will travel nearly 18,000 km (11,185 miles), clocking up most of the distance on 18 flights.A black Madonna statue stands inside the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa in Algiers - the inscription behind says: "Pray for us and the Muslims"All but one of the countries have large Catholic populations, but he has chosen a non-Catholic country - Algeria - as his first stop, as it holds deep significance for him.