Saint Augustine,” Pope Leo XIV Says on Maiden Visit to Africa
By Paschal Norbert
ALGIERS, APRIL 14 ,2026 (CISA) – Pope Leo XIV has begun his first Apostolic Journey to Africa, making his initial stop in Algeria with a landmark visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers on April 13, underscoring a message of interreligious dialogue, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence.
The visit to the mosque, one of the largest in the world, marked a significant moment in Catholic-Muslim relations, as the Pontiff engaged religious leaders in a setting symbolic of faith, learning, and shared human values.
Upon arrival, the Pope was received by the Rector of the mosque, Mohamed Mamoun Al Qasimi. The two held a brief private meeting alongside Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, before proceeding to a tour of the mosque complex. The Holy Father later signed the Book of Honour.
Addressing his host in a response to his welcoming note, the Pope delivered an impromptu reflection that framed the visit as a spiritual and historical homecoming, invoking Saint Augustine, one of North Africa’s most influential Christian figures.
“Thank you for this reflection and for these words, which are so important during this visit, from a place that represents the space that is of God; a divine, sacred space where so many people come to pray in order to find the presence of the Most High, of God, in their lives,” the Pope said.
“As you know, I come to Algeria with great joy because it is also the land of my spiritual father, Saint Augustine. He sought to teach the world so many things, above all through the search for truth, the search for God, recognizing the dignity of every human being, and the importance of building peace.”
The Pontiff emphasized that the search for God must lead to a deeper recognition of human dignity and mutual respect.
“To seek God is also to recognize the image of God in every creature, in the children of God, in every man and woman created in God’s image and likeness. For us, this means that it is very important to learn to live together with respect for the dignity of every human person,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of education alongside faith, Pope Leo XIV praised the mosque’s integration of worship and intellectual formation.
“There is another value that you have chosen to include in this beautiful center: alongside the mosque, a place of prayer, there is also an educational center. How important it is for human beings to develop the intellectual capacity that God has given us, so that we may discover how great creation is, the greatness of what God has left us in all of creation and especially in the human person,” the Holy Father noted.
He continued, “Through the spirit, through this place of prayer, through the search for truth, which also includes study, and through the ability to recognize the dignity of every human being, we know – and today’s meeting is proof of this – that we can learn to respect one another, live in harmony and build a world of peace.”
Following the mosque visit, the Holy Father proceeded to a private engagement at the Welcome and Friendship Centre run by the Augustinian Missionary Sisters in Bab el Oued, before heading to the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa.
A Symbolic Visit in a Predominantly Muslim Nation
Algeria is an overwhelmingly Muslim country, with Islam recognized as the state religion. Christians, primarily Catholics,form a very small minority.
According to Church estimates, Algeria has approximately 5,000 to 10,000 Catholics, most of whom are expatriates or sub-Saharan African migrants. The Catholic Church is organized into four dioceses, including the Archdiocese of Algiers.
Despite their small numbers, the Catholic community is known for its strong emphasis on dialogue, education, and social outreach, often operating in close collaboration with local communities.
Pope Leo XIV’s visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers is widely seen as a powerful gesture of ecumenism and interreligious engagement, reinforcing the Church’s commitment to peaceful coexistence and mutual respect between faith traditions.
The Algeria leg marks the first stop of the Pope’s broader Apostolic Journey to Africa, which will also take him to Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea from April 13 to 23.
