Algeria Cameroon Angola Equatorial Guinea
Algeria (13-15 April)
“To all of you, dear friends, and to those who are not able to be present but are following this meeting from afar, I express my gratitude for your daily commitment to manifest the maternal heart of the Church. (...) In light of what we have heard, I would like us to pause and reflect together on three aspects of Christian life that I consider to be essential — particularly in light of your presence here: prayer, charity and unity.
“First, prayer. We all need to pray. Saint John Paul II emphasized this when he told young people: ‘Man cannot live without prayer, any more than he can live without breathing’ (Meeting with Young Muslims in Casablanca, 19 August 1985, no. 4). He presented dialogue with God as indispensable — not only for the life of the Church, but also for each individual. (...) Prayer unites, humanizes, strengthens and purifies the heart. Through prayer, the Church in Algeria sows humanity, unity, strength and purity, reaching places known only to the Lord.
“The next aspect of ecclesial life that I would like to consider is that of charity. Sister Bernadette spoke to us about this in particular, in sharing her experience of supporting children with disabilities and their parents. From what she has shared, we have come to understand that mercy and service are about more than just providing material help to the weakest among us. Above all, such acts become an opportunity for grace, enabling everyone involved to grow and be enriched. Sister Bernadette explained how a simple, initial gesture of closeness — visiting the sick — blossomed first into a community center and then into an increasingly structured care organization. It has now become an authentic community, where many people share moments of joy and sorrow, united by bonds of trust, friendship and fellowship. Such an environment is life-giving and healing, and it is no surprise that those who suffer can find within it the resources they need to improve their health, while at the same time bringing joy to others, as in the case of Fatima.
“After all, it is precisely love for their brothers and sisters that inspired the witness of the martyrs we have commemorated. In the face of hatred and violence, they remained faithful to charity even to the point of sacrificing themselves alongside many other men and women, Christians and Muslims. They did so without ostentation or fanfare, with serenity and steadfastness, neither falling into presumption nor despair, for they knew the One in whom they had placed their trust (cf. 2 Tim 1:12).
“And so we come to the third point of our reflection: our commitment to promoting peace and unity. The motto of this visit is drawn from the words of the risen Jesus: ‘Peace be with you!’ (cf. Jn 20:21). In an inscription found among the mosaics of Tipasa, we read: In Deo, pax et concordia sit convivio nostro, which we could translate as: ‘In God, may peace and harmony reign in our life together.’ Peace and harmony have been fundamental characteristics of the Christian community from its very beginnings (cf. Acts 2:42-47), in accordance with Jesus’ own desire (cf. Jn 17:23), who said: ‘By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another’ (Jn 13:35). Saint Augustine, in this regard, affirmed that the Church ‘brings forth diverse peoples, but they are members of him whose body she is’ (Sermon 192, 2), and Saint Cyprian wrote: ‘Our peace and brotherly agreement is the greater sacrifice to God — and a people united in one in the unity of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit’ (The Lord’s Prayer, 23). It is beautiful, today, to hear such a rich variety of words and examples resonating in what we have heard.
“As His Eminence mentioned, this very basilica is a sign of our desire for peace and unity. It symbolizes a Church of living stones, where communion between Christians and Muslims takes shape under the mantle of Our Lady of Africa” (Meeting with the Algerian Community at the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa in Algiers, 13 April 2026).
Find the full text of the Pope’s addresses, together with photo galleries, on the Vatican website.
Cameroon (15-18 April)
“The Lord embraces heaven and earth. He knows our hearts and all the situations — joyful or sorrowful — that we experience. By becoming man to save us, he chose to share in the simplest and most everyday needs of humanity. Hunger thus speaks to us not only of our poverty but, above all, of his love. Let us remember this every time we see in their eyes a brother or sister who lacks life’s necessities. Through their eyes, the question that Jesus posed to his disciples is repeated: ‘What are you going to do for all these people?’ Being witnesses of Christ and imitating his acts of love certainly involves difficulties and obstacles, from without and from within us, where pride can corrupt the heart. In those circumstances, however, let us repeat with the psalmist: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?’ (Ps 27:1). Even if we sometimes falter, God always encourages us. ‘Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord’ (v. 14).
“Dear young people, I would like to extend this invitation especially to you, as you are the beloved children of the African continent! As brothers and sisters of Jesus, multiply your talents through the faith, perseverance, and friendship that inspire you. Be the first faces and hands that bring the bread of life to your neighbors, providing them with the food of wisdom and deliverance from all that does not nourish them, but rather obscures good desires and robs them of their dignity” (Homily, Holy Mass at Japoma Stadium in Douala, 17 April 2026).
“As we heard in the Gospel, faith does not spare us from tumult and tribulations. At times, it can seem that fear has the upper hand. However, we know that even in these moments, Jesus does not abandon us, just like he did not abandon the disciples on the Sea of Galilee (...). Jesus draws near to us. He does not immediately calm the storm, but comes to us in the midst of the danger, and invites us, in our joys and sorrows, to remain together with him, like the disciples, in the same boat. He invites us not to distance ourselves from those who suffer, but to draw near to them, to embrace them. No one must be left alone to confront life’s adversities. For this reason, every community has the obligation to create and sustain structures of solidarity and mutual aid in which, when faced with crises –– be they social, political, medical or economic –– everyone can give and receive assistance according to their own capacity and needs. The words of Jesus, ‘it is I,’ remind us that in a society founded on respect for human dignity, everyone’s contribution is valued as important and unique, regardless of the status or position that each one has in the eyes of the world” (Homily, Holy Mass at Yaoundé-Ville Airport, 18 April 2026).
Find the full text of the Pope’s addresses, together with photo galleries, on the Vatican website.
Angola (18-21 April)
“We are in a sanctuary where, for centuries, many men and women have prayed in times of joy and also in moments of sorrow and great suffering in the history of this country. For a long time now, Mamã Muxima (Mother of the Heart) has quietly worked to keep the heart of the Church alive and beating. Her heart contains a multitude of hearts: yours, and those of many people who love, pray, celebrate, weep, and sometimes — even when unable to come in person — entrust their requests and petitions to letters and postal messages, as His Excellency has mentioned. Mamã Muxima welcomes everyone, listens to everyone and prays for everyone.
“We have meditated on the Glorious Mysteries of Jesus’ life, contemplating our destiny in his exaltation and our mission in his love. At Easter, Christ conquered death, showing us the way back to the Father. And so that we too may walk this luminous and demanding path, sharing its beauty with the whole world, he has given us his Spirit, who animates and sustains us on our journey and in our mission. Like Mary, we too are made for heaven. As we journey toward heaven with joy, we look to her as our good Mother and model of holiness. Following her example, we bring the light of the risen One to the brothers and sisters we meet. We expressed this symbolically at the beginning of each decade of the Rosary, represented by people of every vocation and age.
“As Bishop Sumbelelo pointed out, this shrine, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, has been spontaneously ‘renamed’ by the faithful Shrine of the ‘Mother of the Heart.’ It is a beautiful title, which makes us reflect on the heart of Mary: a pure and wise heart, capable of treasuring and pondering the extraordinary events in the life of the Son of God (cf. Lk 2:19, 51). Praying together, we have done the same, allowing ourselves to be guided by Mary in meditating on Jesus. We retraced with her the various moments in the life of her Son, to nurture within us a love as universal as hers (cf. Rosarium Virginis Mariae, no. 11).
“Praying the Rosary, then, commits us to loving every person with a mother’s heart — concretely and generously — and to dedicating ourselves to the good of one another, especially the poorest. A mother loves all her children in the same way and with her whole heart, even though each one is different. In the presence of the Mother of the Heart, we too want to promise to do likewise” (Holy Rosary at the esplanade in front of the “Mamã Muxima” Shrine, 19 April 2026).
Find the full text of the Pope’s addresses, together with photo galleries, on the Vatican website.
Equatorial Guinea (21-23 April)
Find the full text of the Pope’s addresses, together with photo galleries, on the Vatican website.