Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, commenced an extensive 11-day tour across four African countries, emphasizing the continent’s significance as home to over a fifth of the world’s Catholics. His itinerary began in Algeria, where he spent two days, before proceeding to Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea. The tour, which includes visits to 11 cities and towns, covers approximately 18,000km (11,185 miles) over 18 flights. The 70-year-old pope, known for his health and vigor, is conducting one of the most complex tours arranged for a pontiff in recent decades.
More than 20 percent of the world’s Catholics reside in Africa, a region that is predominantly Muslim, with Algeria having fewer than 10,000 Catholics in a population of nearly 48 million. This marks the first time Algeria has hosted a Catholic pope, with the trip aimed at fostering “bridges between the Christian and Muslim worlds, “according to the archbishop of Algiers, Jean-Paul Vesco.
During his visit, Pope Leo is scheduled to deliver 25 speeches over 11 days, addressing a range of topics pertinent to the four nations he is visiting. These include the exploitation of natural resources, Catholic-Muslim dialogue, and the dangers of political corruption. His Monday itinerary included a visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers and the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa, where he planned to offer private prayers in a chapel dedicated to 19 priests and nuns killed during Algeria’s 1992-2002 civil war.
The pope’s trip also avoids the Tibhirine monastery, where monks were abducted and killed in 1996, an incident that remains enigmatic. The Vatican noted that Pope Leo will also discuss corruption in authoritarian regimes and the role of political leaders, particularly in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, where presidents have been in power for decades and have faced accusations of human rights abuses.
The tour’s highlight is expected to be a mass in Douala, Cameroon, on Friday, where the Vatican anticipates an attendance of 600,000. Africa as a whole contributed over half of the 15. 8 million new Catholics baptized in 2023, with 8.
3 million being African. The continent also supplies thousands of men to the priesthood and women to religious orders annually, reversing its historical role as a recipient of Western missionaries. Pope Leo, fluent in several languages, is anticipated to address audiences in Italian, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish throughout his journey.
Source: aljazeera
Original author: AFP and Reuters
