In Algeria, the pope follows in the footsteps of the country's Christian history and reaches out to Muslims

The Basilica of Saint Augustine in Annaba, Algeria, March 28, 2026. - / AFP

Historians have written that Saint Augustine's return to North Africa stemmed from a deep conviction. After years spent in Rome, Augustine of Hippo was determined to settle once again in his African province. Converted to Christianity in 386 in Milan, the great Christian philosopher and future Doctor of the Church decided two years later to return to his homeland, which is now Algeria. There, he carried out his ministry as a priest, was ordained Bishop of Hippo (now Annaba), and wrote his greatest works.

Nearly 1,700 years later, Pope Leo XIV, spiritual leader of some 1.4 billion Catholics, will retrace that path, crossing the Mediterranean the same way, from Italy to Algeria. Nearly a year after his election on May 8, 2025, he will thus become the first pontiff in history to visit the country, from Monday, April 13 to Wednesday, April 15.

Robert Francis Prevost belongs to the Augustinian religious order, which traces its philosophy to the theologian, focusing on the relationship between faith and reason. The pope was especially eager to follow in the footsteps of his intellectual guide. He plans to visit the remains of the ancient city of Hippo and celebrate Mass in the basilica that bears Augustine's name in Annaba.