| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Olde Tyme Religion | |
| Faith and diplomacy: Muslim-majority Algeria is first stop on Pope Leo's Africa tour, with a message of coexistence | |
| 2026-04-12 | |
| [MalayMail] Leo XIV will become the first pope to visit Algeria on Monday, taking a message of dialogue with Islam on a trip that also represents a personal pilgrimage for the American pontiff. Algeria is the first stop on an 11-day tour of four African nations, covering 18,000 kilometres and also taking in Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea from April 13 to 23.
The visit also holds a strong personal dimension for Pope Leo, as modern-day Algeria was home to Saint Augustine (354-430), a great Christian theologian whose spiritual legacy permeates his pontificate. As the world watches anxiously with war raging in the Middle East, peaceful coexistence will be at the heart of the pope’s message in a country where 99 percent of its 47 million inhabitants are Muslim. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pope’s aim was to “address the Islamic world, but also to confront a common challenge of coexistence”. Algeria’s constitution guarantees freedom of worship, although the authorities must approve both the place of worship and the preacher. Yet human rights groups say the repression of religious minorities has continued in Algeria in recent years. Three organisations – Human Rights Watch, EuroMed Rights and MENA Rights Group – issued a joint letter last week calling on the pontiff to push the issue during his visit. SOFT POWER The trip has been hailed in the local press for its “symbolic and historical significance,” extending far beyond Algeria’s 9,000 Catholics. For the government daily El Moudjahid, it is a symbol of “Algerian soft power”, that reflects the country’s “stability, its role as a regional mediator, and its capacity to engage in dialogue with global actors,” the newspaper stated. In Algiers Monday morning, Pope Leo will meet with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and deliver a speech to the authorities and the diplomatic corps. No public appearances are planned in the capital, and the famous popemobile, the white vehicle pontiffs use to drive past crowds of the faithful, will remain at the airport, according to the Casbah Tribune news site. In the afternoon, the pope will visit the Great Mosque of Algiers – one of the largest mosques in the world – and also meet with the Catholic community. Leo will also pray privately in the chapel dedicated to 19 priests and nuns murdered during the dark decade of civil war (1992-2002). However, he will not visit the Tibhirine monastery, whose monks were kidnapped and murdered in 1996, an event still shrouded in mystery. Related: Leo XIV 04/11/2026 The United States has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world Leo XIV 04/04/2026 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: April 3, 2026 Leo XIV 03/11/2026 Pope Leo Accepts Resignation of San Diego Chaldean Bishop Accused of Stealing $270,000 Related: Algeria: 2026-04-04 Israel’s PR Nightmare: Why It Can’t Win, Even When It’s Right Algeria: 2026-03-31 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: March 30, 2026 Algeria: 2026-03-15 Algerian army conducted operations against unidentified terrorists in the Tébessa area northeast of the country | |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #12 |
| Posted by: Jumbo Jones3745 2026-04-12 23:03 |
| #11 |
| Posted by: Jumbo Jones3745 2026-04-12 23:00 |
| #10 |
| Posted by: Jumbo Jones3745 2026-04-12 22:57 |
| #9 |
| Posted by: Crusader 2026-04-12 21:59 |
| #8 |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2026-04-12 17:13 |
| #7 |
| Posted by: Lord Garth 2026-04-12 10:15 |
| #6 |
| Posted by: DooDahMan 2026-04-12 09:56 |
| #5 |
| Posted by: Mercutio 2026-04-12 09:52 |
| #4 |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2026-04-12 09:44 |
| #3 |
| Posted by: Cesare 2026-04-12 09:21 |
| #2 |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2026-04-12 09:01 |
| #1 |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2026-04-12 06:43 |