Pope Leo to tour four African countries in first major overseas trip of 2026

By Joshua McElwee

VATICAN CITY, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Pope Leo will visit four countries across Africa from April 13-23, the Vatican announced on Wednesday, with the pontiff making his first major overseas trip in 2026 to the continent where the Catholic Church is growing fastest.

The pope will also make a one-day visit on March 28 to Monaco, the microstate on the French Riviera, and will visit Spain from June 6-12, the Vatican said.

In Africa, Leo will visit Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. He is expected to draw large crowds, urge world leaders to support development on the continent, and highlight efforts at Catholic-Muslim dialogue.

Leo, elected in May to succeed the late Pope Francis as head of the 1.4-billion-member Church, has made only one overseas trip so far, visiting Turkey and Lebanon in November and December on a visit originally organised for Francis.

Vatican officials and African Church leaders say the upcoming papal tour in Africa is a sign of the priority the Church places on the continent.

"Pope Leo's visit will remind the world that Africa matters and the vibrancy of the Church in Africa remains at the heart of a thriving (global) Church," said Reverend Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, a Jesuit from Nigeria who led his order's communities across Africa from 2017-23.

About 20% of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics live on the continent, according to Vatican statistics.

Wednesday's Vatican announcement did not give full programs for the pope's upcoming trips, only naming the countries he will be visiting.

As part of the trip to Spain, Leo is expected to visit the Canary Islands, which has become a major point of entry for migrants trying to get to Europe.

(Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Alvise Armellini and Alison Williams)