ALGIERS, Algeria (MNTV) — Algerian authorities are stepping up preparations for the historic visit of Pope Leo XIV next month, the first papal trip to the country since it gained independence in 1962.
The visit, scheduled for April 13–15, will center on the theme of peace, with the Vatican selecting the phrase “As-salamu alaykum” — meaning “peace be upon you” — as the official message of the trip, according to New Arab news.
Church officials say the pope’s itinerary will begin with a meeting with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in Algiers, followed by a mass with members of Algeria’s small Christian community at the Church of Our Lady of Africa.
Another mass is planned in the eastern city of Annaba, where the pope will travel on the second day of the visit.
The Algerian Church has already closed registration for both masses due to limited capacity and to allow time for security arrangements ahead of the pope’s arrival.
Authorities are also preparing a fully equipped media center in Annaba to support the approximately 200 journalists expected to cover the visit from Algeria and abroad.
During the trip, Pope Leo XIV will also visit a memorial site honoring 19 monks who were killed during Algeria’s civil conflict in the 1990s.
However, the pope is not expected to visit the Tibhirine monastery, about 120 kilometers south of Algiers, where seven monks were abducted and killed in 1997.
Bishop Jean-Paul Vesco of Algiers said the visit aims to highlight coexistence and reconciliation, noting that during the civil war many religious figures — both Christian and Muslim — were targeted and killed.
The visit will take place amid ongoing discussions about religious freedoms in Algeria. Authorities continue to enforce regulations governing non-Muslim worship, including restrictions on unlicensed churches under a law introduced in 2006.
Church leaders say dialogue continues with the government on addressing these challenges.
Relations between Algeria and the Vatican have remained stable in recent years. In July 2025, Pope Leo XIV met President Tebboune at the Vatican during the Algerian leader’s visit to Italy, where both sides highlighted positive bilateral ties.
The pope first announced his intention to visit Algeria in late 2025, saying he hoped to travel to places associated with Saint Augustine, the influential Christian theologian who lived in the region during the Roman era.