Pope Leo XIV: Visit to Algeria Was a "Beautiful Opportunity to Continue Building Bridges"

The official visit of Pope Leo XIV to Algeria, at the invitation of the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, was a "very beautiful opportunity to continue building bridges and promoting dialogue," the Sovereign Pontiff affirmed on Wednesday, expressing his gratitude to the Algerian authorities who "made this visit possible."

During the flight from Algiers to Yaoundé, Cameroon—the second stop of his African tour—Pope Leo XIV told journalists accompanying him on the apostolic journey that the first few days in Algeria had been a "very beautiful opportunity to continue building bridges and promoting dialogue."

His Holiness, who has described himself as a "son of Saint Augustine," noted that his visit to Algeria, particularly to the Wilaya of Annaba, was a special occasion to "seek unity among all peoples and mutual respect despite differences." This was a message he sought to personify during his trip, notably through his significant visit to Djamaâ El-Djazaïr (the Great Mosque of Algiers), where he stated: "Even if we have different beliefs, different ways of praying and living, we can nevertheless live together in peace."

"Promoting this image is something the world needs today, and something we can continue to offer together through our witness as we pursue this apostolic journey," he added.

Commenting on the "special visits" to the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa in Algiers and the Basilica of Saint Augustine in Annaba—situated on the hill overlooking both the modern city and the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Hippo—the Sovereign Pontiff affirmed that these sites hold "strong symbolic value."

The Pope noted that Saint Augustine, who served as the Bishop of Hippo for over thirty years, is a figure from the past who speaks of tradition and the life of the Church during its first centuries of development, yet remains "an extremely important figure even today."

Pope Leo XIV also extended his thanks to the Algerian authorities for making the visit possible and for providing an aerial escort as he departed Algerian airspace. He described this gesture as "a sign of the kindness, generosity, and respect that the Algerian people and government wished to show to the Holy See and to myself."