Day one in Algeria: Pope Leo a missionary of peace

Pope Leo XIV kicks of his Apostolic Journey in Africa with an intense day in Algiers, where he meets with government authorities, visits a mosque, meets with a community of Augustinian missionary sisters, and prays with the Algerian community.

Pope Leo XIV and the Rector of the Great Mosque of Algiers

Pope Leo XIV has completed the first day of his Apostolic Journey in Africa, during which he will visit Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, from 13 to 23 April.

He arrived in Algeria on Monday morning, happy to revisit the land of Saint Augustine, who, the Pope said during the flight from Rome, “offers a very important bridge in interreligious dialogue”.

Martyrs’ Monument ‘Maqam Echahid’

After arriving in Algiers, he visited the Martyrs’ Monument, “Maqam Echahid,' which commemorates those who lost their lives in the Algerian War for Independence from 1954 to 1962. In the first public discourse of his trip, the Holy Father reminded those present that “the future belongs to men and women of peace”, and he stressed that “true freedom is not merely inherited; it is chosen anew every day”.

Meeting with State authorities

He then went to the Presidential Palace for a courtesy visit with the President of the Republic of Algeria, before addressing the country9;s authorities, civil society and diplomatic corps, at the Djamaa El Djazair Conference Center. In his discourse, he urged state actors to respect the dignity of everyone and allow themselves to be moved by the pain of others, instead of multiplying misunderstandings and conflicts.

Visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers

In the afternoon, Pope Leo made a short visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers, where he spent a moment of silent reflection, accompanied by the Rector, Mohamed Mamoun Al Qasimi. The Pope went off-script during his conversation with the Rector. He stressed the importance of reciprocal respect and of respecting the dignity of every person. The visit to the mosque was especially significant, as Algeria is a Muslim-majority country where the Christian community constitutes a small but vibrant minority.

With the Augustinian Missionary Sisters

The Holy Father then made a private visit to the Welcome and Friendship Centre of the Augustinian Missionary Sisters of Bab El Oued. There, he paid his respects to the memory of the religious sisters who were killed between 1994 and 1996, during the Algerian Civil War, also known as the Black Decade. He explained that the sisters’ lives express a dimension deeply inscribed in Augustinian spirituality: that of witness, even to the point of martyrdom. The Holy Father thanked the community of religious for their active presence and works of charity.

Praying in the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa

Pope Leo then met with the Algerian Community at the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa, who greeted him with joyful cheers and music. Not even the wind and heavy rain stopped groups from following the event from outside the packed Basilica. The Pope listened attentively to testimonies from people of different religions, including a Muslim woman and a Pentecostal student, who shared their experience of living side by side fraternally as Christians and Muslims. In his remarks, the Holy Father said that in a world “where division and wars sow pain and death among nations, in communities, and even within families”, their “experience of unity and peace is a compelling sign”.

The Holy Father then returned to the Apostolic Nunciature, where he had a private meeting with Bishops, the final event on his intense schedule.

Claudia Torres – Algiers, Algeria
Source: vaticannews.va/en