Pope Leo XIV said on Tuesday that his next international trip may be to Africa, expressing a particular desire to visit Algeria in 2026.
The US-born pontiff, who was wrapping up his first international trip with a return flight from a six-day visit to Turkey and Lebanon, made the announcement during a press conference aboard the papal plane.
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“I hope to make a trip to Africa, which could be my next trip”, he stated.
The Pope’s interest in Algeria is deeply personal and theological.
He specifically hopes to visit “the places from the life of Saint Augustine”, referring to the fifth-century saint and Doctor of the Church from the North African country.
Pope Leo XIV, who was elected in May, belongs to the Augustinian order, which takes its inspiration from the saint.
The 70-year-old pontiff stressed that such a visit would serve to continue the discourse of dialogue and bridge-building between the Christian and the Muslim worlds.
He added that “The figure of Saint Augustine plays an important role as a bridge because in Algpoppoppppoperia he is highly respected as a son of the nation.”
A Vatican source indicated that a trip to Africa could also potentially include visits to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.
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The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics also expressed a strong desire to visit Latin America, listing “Argentina, Uruguay”, as well as Peru, where he spent more than 20 years working as a missionary.
