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The Algerian city of Annaba is brimming with joy in anticipation of Pope Leo XIV‘s visit to the one-time home of Saint Augustine. The Pope’s first visit will be the first such visit by a Catholic pontiff.
Pope Leo is expected to visit Algeria between April 13 and 15. His anticipated visit is considered a sign of recognition for Annaba’s small Christian community. Preparations for the Pope’s visit are in progress and are being coordinated by rector Father Fred Wekesa.
According to Algerian authorities, the Pope’s visit is of particular importance. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is personally overseeing preparations for Pope Leo’s visit.
AFP reported that municipal workers, aided by members of the Order of Saint Augustine, are repainting the walls and polishing the statues ahead of the pope’s visit next week.
Father Wekesa described the Pope’s visit as a great joy.
“He is the first pope to have thought of us and of coming to visit us. It is therefore a deeply significant moment,” said Wekesa.
“We are what I call a ‘small flock’, a minority. But that does not mean we are forgotten,” he said. “On the contrary… the Pope’s presence supports us as a minority. It carries a message of encouragement and solidarity.”
He added that he felt moved by the “spontaneous enthusiasm of the Algerians”, who invited the pontiff as soon as he expressed a wish to visit.
“All too often, some people view this country only through the lens of the ‘dark years,” he lamented. He was referring to the country’s bloody civil war from 1992 to 2002, when 200,000 people were killed in the conflict between Islamists and security forces.
No fewer than 19 Christian clerics were killed in Algeria between 1994 and 1996. The bishop of Oran, Pierre Claverie, and the seven monks of Tibhirine, who were beatified in 2018, were among the clerics who were killed at the time.
“With the Holy Father’s visit… the whole world will see the hospitality and generosity of the Algerian people”, and “that we are capable of living together in peace”, Wekesa added.
Students from the University of Batna are among those attending the Pope’s visit. A 22-year-old university student, Patricia Kouago, said the pontiff’s visit is an occasion “for Christians and Muslims to come together”.
“It is also a sense of solidarity that we are building. His arrival could strengthen the bonds between us,” Patricia added.
