Pope Leo XIV will travel to six countries over the next four months, including a 10-day journey across Africa and visits to Monaco and Spain, the Vatican announced on February 25.

The schedule marks the pope’s first visit to the African continent since the start of his pontificate and reflects a focus on peace, interfaith dialogue and care for the poor, according to Vatican officials.

His international travel will begin with a one-day visit to Monaco on March 28, followed by a 10-day trip to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea from April 13 to 23. In June, the pope will spend a week in Spain, with stops in Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands.

Algeria: In the Footsteps of St. Augustine

The African tour will begin in Algeria, where Pope Leo will visit Algiers and Annaba from April 13 to 15. Annaba is home to the Basilica of St. Augustine, built near the ruins of the Basilica Pacis, where the theologian died in A.D. 430 during a siege of the city.

Pope Leo has previously said he hoped to visit Algeria to see sites associated with St. Augustine and to “continue the conversation of dialogue, of building bridges between the Christian world and the Muslim world.”

Algeria is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim, with Catholics making up a small minority. According to the 2025 Annuario Pontificio, Catholics number about 8,740 people in a country of more than 45 million, representing roughly 0.019% of the population.

Cameroon: A Stop in a Conflict Region

From Algeria, the pope will travel to Cameroon from April 15 to 18. His itinerary includes Yaoundé, Douala and Bamenda, a city in the country’s Anglophone northwest where a separatist conflict has been ongoing since 2017.

The conflict began after the government cracked down on strikes by English-speaking teachers and lawyers. The unrest has led to thousands of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. Security concerns had raised questions about the feasibility of a papal visit to the region.

Christianity is the predominant faith in Cameroon, practiced by more than 60% of the population. Catholics number more than 7.9 million, about 27.9% of the population, while Muslims account for approximately 30%.

Angola: A Nation of Oil Wealth and Poverty

Pope Leo will then travel to Angola from April 18 to 21, visiting Luanda, Muxima and Saurimo. Catholicism is the largest religious group in Angola, with more than 17.9 million Catholics, about 49% of the population, according to Vatican statistics.

Despite its oil wealth, Angola continues to face high poverty rates and economic inequality. The last papal visit to Angola was made by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. St. John Paul II visited in 1992 to mark the 500th anniversary of the country’s evangelization.

Equatorial Guinea: A Spanish-Speaking Catholic Nation

The final leg of the African journey will take Pope Leo to Equatorial Guinea from April 21 to 23. He is scheduled to visit Malabo, Mongomo and Bata.

Equatorial Guinea is the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa and one of the most Catholic nations in sub-Saharan Africa by percentage. About 81.58% of its 1.37 million residents identify as Catholic, according to Vatican data.

The visit will be only the second papal trip to the country. St. John Paul II visited in 1982.

In total, the Africa tour will span 10 days, making it one of the longest international journeys of Pope Leo’s pontificate so far.

Monaco: A Historic First

Before heading to Africa, Pope Leo will visit Monaco on March 28. The trip follows an invitation from Prince Albert II, who met the pope at the Vatican in January.

Monaco, the second-smallest country in the world after Vatican City, is about 82% Catholic. The visit will be the first papal trip to Monaco in the modern era.

Spain: Sagrada Família and Migration Focus

From June 6 to 12, Pope Leo will travel to Spain. A highlight of the Barcelona visit will be the inauguration of the tallest and newest tower of the Sagrada Família basilica.

The trip coincides with the centenary of Venerable Antoni Gaudí’s death. Gaudí, the architect of the Sagrada Família, was declared venerable last year.

The pope will also visit the Canary Islands, including Tenerife and Gran Canaria. The islands are a major entry point for migrants traveling from Africa to Europe, and the visit is expected to highlight the issue of migration. The late Pope Francis had long hoped to make such a trip.

In addition to these international journeys, the Vatican previously announced that Pope Leo will make six domestic trips within Italy this year, including visits to the shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii, the tomb of St. Augustine and the island of Lampedusa on July 4.

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