Pope Leo XIV touched down at Houari Boumediene International Airport on Monday morning, marking the commencement of an 11-day apostolic African tour.
As the first pontiff ever to visit the Mediterranean nation of Algeria, Leo XIV was greeted with a 21-gun salute and a state welcome by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
This historic visit serves as the inaugural leg of an ambitious four-nation tour that will also take the 70-year-old Pope to Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea over the next 11 days.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the 11-day African Tour by Pope Leo comes amid a media war with United States President Donald Trump.
On the eve of the Pope’s departure, the U.S President took to social media to label the pontiff “terrible for foreign policy” and “weak on crime.”
Trump’s comment follows the Pope’s vocal criticism of U.S military actions in the Middle East and hard-line immigration policies.
Responding to Trump’s comments, the pontiff said his duty and that of the Catholic Church is to proclaim the message of the Gospel, not to align with political interests.
Pope Leo said he is not intimidated by the American leader’s administration and will continue to speak out when necessary.
“I have no fear of your administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do,” the pontiff said.
Meanwhile, in Algeria, Pope Leo said he visited the country “as the Successor of the Apostle Peter” but “first and foremost as a brother” seeking to renew bonds of affection.
Looking at the Algerian people, he said, “I see the face of a strong and young people, whose hospitality and fraternity I have experienced frequently.”
“In the Algerian heart, friendship, trust, and solidarity are not merely words, but values that matter and give warmth and strength to your life together,” the pope said.
Reflecting on Algeria’s history, Leo acknowledged both its deep traditions and its painful periods of violence. “Our presence here at this monument pays tribute to this history of Algeria and to the very spirit of a people who fought for the independence, dignity, and sovereignty of this nation,” he said.
The pope then turned to his central theme: peace rooted in justice, dignity, and forgiveness.
“God desires peace for every nation: a peace that is not merely an absence of conflict, but one that is an expression of justice and dignity,” he said. “This peace, which allows us to face the future with a reconciled spirit, is possible only through forgiveness.”
“The true struggle for liberation will be definitively won only when peace in our hearts has finally been achieved,” Leo added. “I know how difficult it is to forgive. However, as conflicts continue to multiply throughout the world, we cannot add resentment upon resentment, generation after generation.”
He continued: “The future belongs to men and women of peace. In the end, justice will always triumph over injustice, just as violence, despite all appearances, will never have the last word.”
Speaking in a country shaped by multiple cultures and religions, Leo said “mutual respect is the path that enables everyone to walk together” and expressed hope that Algeria would continue contributing “to stability and dialogue within the international community and along the shores of the Mediterranean.”
The pope also praised the place of faith in Algerian society, saying that “faith in God has a central place in your heritage.”
“A nation that loves God possesses true wealth, and the Algerian people cherish this jewel as one of their treasures,” he said. “Our world needs believers like this — men and women of faith who thirst for justice and unity.”
Leo warned against the false promise of material wealth, saying there are those who “search for riches that fade away, deceive and disappoint, and which sadly often end up corrupting the human heart, giving rise to envy, rivalry and conflict.” Quoting Christ, he asked: “For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life?”
He said the dead honored at the monument had already answered that question: “They lost their lives but in doing so, they gave them up for the love of their own people.”
“May their example sustain the people of Algeria and all of us on our journey, for true freedom is not merely inherited, it is chosen anew every day,” Pope Leo said on the first day of his 11-day African tour.
