Pope Leo XIV's first major foreign tour will take place in four African countries next April. This trip, which includes seven masses and 11 speeches, will lead Leo XIV to Algeria starting on April 13.
He will thus become the first pope to visit the country, where Islam is the state religion. The head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics will be received by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune before celebrating Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa, located in the hills above the Algerian capital, Algiers.
Pope Leo will address a range of topics, from interreligious dialogue to calls to fight corruption and inequality.
Pope Leo XIV will then travel to Cameroon on April 15, to Angola on April 18, and will end his trip in Equatorial Guinea, where he will spend two days after his arrival on April 21.
In Malabo, urban works, clean-up campaigns, and the organization of events reflect the scale of the preparations. But behind this mobilization, the financing methods chosen by the authorities are sparking heated controversy.
According to several accounts gathered by AFP, civil servants and military personnel have had their salaries docked, with deductions ranging from 20,000 to 55,000 CFA francs (approximately 30 to 75 euros). This measure is presented as a contribution to financing the papal visit. Meanwhile, students at the National University of Equatorial Guinea are reportedly required to purchase clothing bearing the image of the Pope, at a cost of approximately 10,000 CFA francs (15 euros), in order to attend official events.
