Algerian Radio
The international press highlighted on Wednesday the historic visit of Pope Leo XIV to Algeria, emphasizing the powerful messages of peace, dialogue, and coexistence conveyed during the trip, as well as the warm hospitality extended to the Sovereign Pontiff by Algerian authorities and society.
Under the headline "In Annaba, a Call for Rebirth for Leo XIV," the Vatican News website reported that the second day of the papal visit to Algeria "carries a historical, personal, and spiritual dimension" for the Pope. It noted that upon his inauguration as head of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025, the Pope declared from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica that he follows the "Augustinian method" and considers Saint Augustine his "spiritual father."
The website InfoCatolica covered the Pope’s message of gratitude to the Algerian authorities for their hospitality, as well as his call for collective action toward "peace, justice, integral development, and communion."
The British newspaper The Belfast Telegraph wrote, under the title "Pope Follows in Footsteps of Spiritual Father Saint Augustine During Algeria Trip," that the Pope focused on Saint Augustine as a "bridge-builder," aiming to promote the message of peace and coexistence between Christians and Muslims. The paper also quoted several of the Pope's statements calling for "building bridges for peace and coexistence."
In a similar vein, the Associated Press commented on the second day of the visit, stating that Pope Leo XIV in Algeria is "walking in the footsteps of Saint Augustine." It described his visit to the Wilaya of Annaba as "a spiritual return to roots in the context of numerous calls for peace."
The first official papal visit of its kind to Algeria also drew a reaction from the Rector of the Great Mosque of Paris, Chems-Eddine Hafiz. In an article on the institution's website, he praised the reception given to the Pope by Algerian society, noting that "the capacity for openness is rooted in Algeria's history" and calling for the strengthening of the values of coexistence and dialogue.
Other media outlets focused on the Pope's calls for peace and the promotion of dialogue between Muslims and Christians, viewing the visit as having both spiritual and historical significance.
The English-language magazine The Africa Report highlighted that the Pope's visit to Algeria "holds both a historical and diplomatic dimension." It added that the "first papal visit to the country combines a tribute to Saint Augustine with Islamic-Christian dialogue, in addition to official meetings with the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune."
Furthermore, the newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi shed light on Pope Leo XIV’s visit to the Wilaya of Annaba during the second day of his historic trip, asserting that "this stop carries special symbolism, as it connects the present with intellectual and spiritual roots."
