The Holy Father spent several days touring Algeria and meeting with Catholics and religious leaders before heading south to the Cameroonian capital of Yaoundé.
A religious sister greets Pope Leo XIV at the Notre Dame d’Afrique Kindergarten, run by the Missionary Sisters of Charity, near Algiers, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Leo XIV finished the first leg of his papal trip to Africa on April 15, wrapping up meetings with Catholics and local religious and civic leaders in Algeria before heading south to Cameroon.
The Holy Father will spend several days in Cameroon before heading on to Angola and Equatorial Guinea during his first apostolic journey to Africa. The trip is scheduled to last through April 23.
Here is a look at the popeʼs activities in both Algeria and Cameroon:
Pope Leo XIV watches a performance by children at the Notre Dame d’Afrique Kindergarten, run by the Missionary Sisters of Charity, near Algiers, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Leo XIV greets a child at the Notre Dame d’Afrique Kindergarten, run by the Missionary Sisters of Charity, near Algiers, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Leo XIV poses with religious sisters at the Notre Dame d’Afrique Kindergarten, run by the Missionary Sisters of Charity, near Algiers, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Leo XIV speaks to Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune at Houari Boumediene International Airport before departing Algeria, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Leo XIV shakes hands with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune at Houari Boumediene International Airport before departing Algeria, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Leo XIV boards the papal airplane at Houari Boumediene International Airport while departing Algeria, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Leo XIV is greeted by a young Catholic upon his arrival at Yaoundé-Nsimalen International Airport near Yaoundé, Cameroon, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Leo XIV is given a ceremonial greeting upon arriving at Yaoundé-Nsimalen International Airport near Yaoundé, Cameroon, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Leo XIV greets crowds after landing at Yaoundé-Nsimalen International Airport in Cameroon, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Leo XIV meets with Cameroon President Paul Biya at the Presidential Palace in Yaounde on the third day of an 11-day apostolic journey to Africa, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. | Credit: Alberto PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images
Pope Leo XIV speaks with Cameroon President Paul Biya at the Presidential Palace in Yaounde, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Leo XIV meets with clergy and Cameroonian officials at the Presidential Palace in Yaoundé, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Leo XIV speaks to clergy and Cameroonian officials at the Presidential Palace in Yaoundé, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Leo XIV speaks to children at the Ngul Zamba Orphanage in Yaoundé, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
Children pray with Pope Leo XIV at the Ngul Zamba Orphanage in Yaoundé, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
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A cat is stranded in the colonnade surrounding St. Peter’s Square. / Hannah Brockhaus/CNA.
Vatican City, Feb 15, 2022 / 06:17 am (CNA).
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CNA Staff, Dec 30, 2020 / 05:29 pm (CNA).- Priests and parishioners in Southern California are praying for the safe return of Bishop Moses Chikwe, the auxiliary bishop of Owerri Archdiocese in Nigeria, who served for several years in the Diocese of San Diego as a priest before returning to his country.
Bishop Moses was ordained a priest on July 6, 1996, in Nigeria, after which he completed his Master’s degree in educational administration at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, and his Ph.D. in education at UCLA. Fr. Moses served for six years as a priest in residence at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in downtown San Diego and at the VA Hospital in La Jolla as chaplain; he also frequently said Mass at St. Mark’s parish in San Marcos, CA.
He returned to his home diocese to where he became director of education and was ordained Auxiliary Bishop on December 12, 2019, but he kept “strong ties with the community and came back during the summer for four consecutive years, except for this last summer,” Fr. Bruce Orsborn, pastor of St. Mark’s and a good friend of Bishop Moses told CNA.
During his summer visits, then-Fr. Moses would resume celebrating masses and preaching at St. Mark’s. “Everybody loves Fr. Moses, he is extremely humble and gentle, and he is very intelligent, he is extremely prayerful and people were amazed at his homilies,” said Fr. Orsborn.
Fr. Peter M. Escalante, current pastor of Mission San Diego de Alcala and former pastor of the Cathedral in downtown San Diego, told CNA that “it was in mid-2008 that he took residence at St. Joseph’s Cathedral while completing his doctoral studies at UCLA and working on his dissertation. He helped with daily and weekend masses at the Cathedral and he is still fondly remembered there.”
Fr. Escalante has maintained a friendship with Bishop Moses, even traveling to Nigeria with two parishioners last December for the occasion of his Episcopal Ordination. “He is a wonderful human being and Churchman. We are praying fervently for his safety and release.”
In a December 29 statement, the Archbishop of Owerri Anthony Obinna urged “all Christ’s faithful and people of goodwill” to disregard reports that kidnappers had killed Bishop Moses. “This information is unconfirmed, misleading and does not come from the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri,” he added.
Fr. Orsborn sent an urgent email to all St. Mark’s parishioners, announcing a time of special prayer at St Mark’s for the safety of Bishop Moses. The prayer service will be held on Sunday, January 3 2021 at 2:30 pm.
Vatican City, Oct 24, 2019 / 10:18 am (CNA).- An indigenous Peruvian who is participating in the Amazon synod said Thursday that if Catholics in the region are to have their own rite, then without question Christ must be at its center.
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Impressive photos. Faith in the Divine is very much alive in the hearts and minds of the Africans.