The papal visit talked about in February has materialized. The Holy Father landed in Algeria yesterday, 13th April, as planned.
Going by how Day 1 went, the 70-year-old Pope intends to push himself to the limit. He met government officials in Algeria’s capital, Algiers, visited a mosque, and met with some apostolic sisters from the Augustine congregation.
He also spared time to pray and engage with an Algerian mixed community.
The Pope is, obviously, excited to be in Algeria, the home of Saint Augustine. He is said to have talked about him a lot on his flight to Algiers. Then today he visited Hippo, the place where the saint served as Bishop for many years. Today, Hippo is known as Annaba.
St. Augustine’s Vision of Peace
One reason Pope Leo XIV is excited to be in a place associated with Saint Augustine is the saint’s vision of peace. Saint Augustine believed that everyone, irrespective of their faith or background, shares common humanity. He also believed that to attain peace and live in harmony, people need to pursue love rather than coercion.
Saint Augustine’s stance is significant in light of the wars taking place around the world today. There is the US/Israel – Iran War; the Russia – Ukraine War; the Israel – Palestine problem; and such other tensions.
What is the Pope’s next Stop?
Pope Leo XIV is set to leave Algeria tomorrow, the 15th. He is expected to land in Cameroon tomorrow, visit different places over three days, and leave on Saturday, the 18th.
One of his visit’s highlights is meeting with the 93-year-old Cameroon President Paul Biya. The meeting, which the Pope terms “a meeting for peace”, will be held in Bamenda, a city in a conflict-ridden zone.
The Pope is also set to conduct Mass in Douala, visit the Catholic University of Central Africa, and address the students. He is expected to conduct Mass on the 18th before flying out from` Yaounde-Ville Airport.
Meanwhile, after a busy day today and great interactions with the Algerian community, the Pope retired at the Apostolic Nunciature. Yet he still spared some time to meet some Bishops privately.