Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday, Dec. 2, that he would like to visit Algeria in 2026 as part of a voyage to Africa.

 

 

 

The Pope made this known as he wrapped up his first international trip as pontiff.

 

 

 

 

“I hope to make a trip to Africa, which could be my next trip,” the US pope said during a press conference aboard the papal plane during his return from a six-day visit to Turkey and Lebanon.

 

 

 

“Personally, I hope to go to Algeria to visit the places from the life of Saint Augustine,” he said, in reference to the fifth-century saint from the North African country.

 

 

 

 

Leo, who was elected in May, belongs to the Augustinian order, which was founded in the 13th century and has nearly 3,000 members in around 50 countries.

 

 

 

 

Such a visit would allow the head of the Catholic Church to “continue the discourse of dialogue and bridge-building between the Christian and the Muslim worlds”, he said.

 

 

 

“The figure of Saint Augustine plays an important role as a bridge because in Algeria he is highly respected as a son of the nation,” the 70-year-old pontiff said.

 

 

 

A trip to Africa could also include visits to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, a Vatican source told AFP.

 

 

 

Leo, leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, also said he would “very much” like to visit “Latin America, Argentina, Uruguay”, as well as Peru, where he spent more than 20 years working as a missionary.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, the Pope also called for an end to hostilities in Lebanon and new approaches for peace in the Middle East before returning to Rome on Tuesday, Dec. 2, ending his inaugural visit abroad as pontiff.

 

 

 

A 150,000-strong mass at Beirut’s waterfront was the highlight of the trip by the head of the world’s Catholics, who arrived in Lebanon on Sunday after visiting Turkey, the start of his six-day trip.

 

 

 

Before landing in Rome on Tuesday afternoon, the 70-year-old pontiff told journalists aboard the papal plane that he looked forward to his next international trip, which has yet to be officially confirmed.