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Pope Leo XIV will visit Angola later this year as part of an African tour, the Apostolic Nuncio in Luanda announced on Tuesday, January 13th. Other possible destinations, according to reports are Algeria, along with Angola, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea.
The Pope's visit to Angola does not yet have a set date, agenda, or program, which, according to Papal Nuncio Archbishop Kryspin Witold Dubiel, are still being discussed with Angolan authorities.
The information was released at a press conference at the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See in Luanda. The Vatican representative in the Angolan capital added, however, that he did not yet have details about the Pope's trip to Angola, only that this trip is part of a tour of the African continent.
Archbishop Kryspin Dubiel also indicated that Leo XIV accepted the invitation from the Angolan episcopate and President João Lourenço.
On December 2, 2025, during an in-flight press conference Pope Leo XIV expressed the desire to visit Africa and particularly Algeria; due to it's connection with Saint Augustine:
Archbishop José Manuel Imbamba, President of the Catholic Episcopal Conference in Angola and Sao Tome, called on citizens and faithful to take an active role in organizing the visit. “Each of these committees should give their best in the preparation, promotion, and realization of all tasks assigned,” he urged, emphasizing unity and dedication in the months ahead.
In the Archdiocese of Luanda, Archbishop Filomeno do Nascimento Vieira Dias described the papal journey as a “moment of great human and spiritual comfort,” noting its alignment with a milestone year for the Angolan capital — the 450th anniversary of Luanda. “It is 450 years as a city, 450 years celebrating the faith,” he said, highlighting how the visit connects with both civic heritage and spiritual renewal.
This will be the third papal visit to Angola, following John Paul II in 1992 and Benedict XVI in 2009, both of which were unanimously considered papal visits of great importance in a universal context.
According to contemporary records, John Paul II's visit was comprehensive and covered several provinces, while Benedict XVI's visit focused on reconciliation and peace after the civil war.
John Paul II visited Angola in June 1992, a crucial time that coincided with the end of the civil war, taking the opportunity to travel to several provinces, including Luanda, Benguela, Huambo, Zaire, Cabinda, and Huíla.
On his second papal visit to Angola, in March 2009, Benedict XVI arrived with a message based on peace as the path to progress, forgiveness, and
As some experts have been pointing out since Leo XIV's visit was announced, being a different kind of pope from Francis, he will tend to give more importance to defending Catholicism in Africa rather than ecumenism.
Between 2001 and 2016, Pope Leo XIV as Fr. Robert Prevost visited Nigeria about nine times, according to reports by the Nigeria Catholic Network. In 2009, he presided over the inauguration of the Augustinian University in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kenya’s Augustinian community also noted his multiple visits, including one in December 2024. “He has always valued the African Church and its vitality,” said Fr. Robert Karanja Ireri earlier in 2025. Likewise, his pastoral work took him to neighboring Tanzania, Zambia, and South Africa, where members of the Augustinian Sisters of the Mercy of Jesus fondly remember interacting with him long before his elevation to the papacy.
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