Pope Leo’s Africa tour sparks hope and controversy

As Pope Leo XIV prepares for his first major African trip next month, Algeria welcomes a historic papal debut while Equatorial Guinea faces growing discontent over forced contributions to fund the visit.

The US pontiff will become the first pope to visit Algeria when he arrives on April 13.

Islam is the state religion, but Leo will celebrate mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa in Algiers and later in Annaba, the land of Saint…