Algeria: Visit of Pope Leo XIV bolsters mission of small, vibrant Church and dialogue with Islam
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Algeria yesterday, 13 April, for a historic visit that shines a spotlight on the small but vibrant local Church and the role of dialogue between Christians and Muslims. Following his arrival in Algiers on Monday, the Holy Father visited Hippo Regius (present-day Annaba) on Tuesday, 14 April, including sites linked to St Augustine, before continuing his journey through Africa.
Representatives from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), who are currently in Algeria, visiting projects supported by the foundation, have highlighted the symbolic and spiritual significance of the trip. For years, the organisation has accompanied this discreet yet dynamic Church, which is defined by witness, dialogue, and fraternity.
ACN sources noted the powerful impact of the visit, explaining that the Algerian capital welcomed the Pope with a striking display of Vatican flags alongside Algerian ones, as well as official images of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune with the Pontiff, reflecting the importance the country attaches to this historic journey.
During his opening addresses, Pope Leo XIV focused his message on three main pillars: prayer, charity, and unity. ACN representatives highlighted that the Holy Father particularly wished to underscore prayer as the foundation for encounters between Christians and Muslims, citing St John Paul II’s historic 1985 speech in Casablanca.
Another significant moment was the Pope's reference to Tibhirine, where Trappist monks were martyred in 1996. The Holy Father specifically evoked the figure of Brother Luc, the community's doctor, highlighting his witness of service and closeness to the local population. According to ACN members on the ground, this gesture reflects a vision of interreligious dialogue centred on shared life and concrete witness.
Furthermore, during his speech at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Africa, the Pope offered a profound reflection on St Charles de Foucauld, after the Bishop of Ghardaïa presented him with relics of the saint. This moment underscores the Pontiff’s interest in the spiritual history of the Church in North Africa.
In the basilica, the Pope lit a candle and prayed before the icon of the 19 martyrs of Algeria, killed between 1994 and 1996 and canonized in 2018. Among them are - in addition to the seven monks of Tibhirin - Bishop Claverie, former Bishop of Oran and a leading figure in interreligious dialogue, and also his Muslim driver, Mohamed Bouchikhi, who is depicted next to a mosque. Both were murdered on 1 August 1996. This powerful gesture underscores the vital importance of religious freedom in a context that remains tense today. The visit has been marked by security challenges in the country; The security forces foiled two attacks.
A small but living Church
Christians constitute a very small minority in Algeria. The Pope’s visit holds particular meaning for the country’s Catholic Church – a small but dynamic community.
In the Diocese of Oran, for example, Bishop Davide Carraro told ACN that there are between 400 and 500 Christians in a population of approximately 10 million, hailing from 20 to 30 different nationalities. This diversity creates a "mosaic Church" and a "Church in transit," largely made up of African migrants and students.
Bishop Carraro further described this reality as a "young Church", characterised by cultural diversity, fraternity, and daily witness within a Muslim society.
According to Bishop Nicolas Lhernould of Constantine-Hippo, around 80% of the faithful are sub-Saharan students, making the local Church a dynamic, albeit itinerant and multicultural community.
A Church at the service of all society
Beyond the papal visit, the Church in Algeria continues to develop numerous social and cultural initiatives open to everyone. In Oran, for instance, the Pierre Claverie Centre offers educational activities, workshops for women, care for those in need, and cultural events – the majority of which serve the Muslim population.
This quiet work reflects the Church's role in fraternity and dialogue, a mission that Pope Leo XIV intended to highlight with his visit.
ACN supports the Church in Algeria through formation projects, pastoral aid and infrastructure renovation. In the Diocese of Laghouat-Ghardaïa, the foundation has contributed to the renovation of the White Fathers' house in Adrar. ACN is also supporting the acquisition of vehicles for the Dioceses of Constantine and Oran, as well as providing subsistence aid. In Oran, the foundation has contributed to the renovation of the bishop’s residence, where Bishop Pierre Claverie, an iconic figure of interreligious dialogue, was assassinated in 1996.