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Departure from Rome

Telegram to the President of the Italian Republic

Welcome Ceremony

 

Departure from Rome

This morning at 9:07., Pope Leo XIV departed for his Apostolic Journey to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea aboard an ITA Airways A330-900neo, heading to Algiers (Algeria).

The flight landed at the Algiers International Airport “Houari Boumédiène” at 9:48 (local time).

 

Telegram to the President of the Italian Republic

As he left Italian territory, the Holy Father Leo XIV sent the following telegram to the President of the Italian Republic, the Honourable Sergio Mattarella:

Telegram

To His Excellency Hon. Sergio Mattarella President of the Italian Republic Quirinal Palace

As I prepare to embark on my Apostolic Journey to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, moved by a deep desire to meet the brothers in the faith and the inhabitants of those dear Nations, I am pleased to address to you, Mr. President, the expression of my respectful greeting, which I accompany with fervent prayers for the good and the prosperity of the entire Italian people.

Leo PP. XIV

 

Welcome Ceremony

On arrival at Algiers International Airport “Houari Boumédiène,” the Pope was welcomed by the President of the Republic. A young girl offered flowers to the Holy Father.

After the national anthems, the honors to the flags, the Guard of Honor, and the presentation of the respective delegations, the Pope was accompanied to the  Salon d’Honneur  for a brief private meeting with the President of the Republic.

At the end of the meeting, the Holy Father transferred by car to the Martyrs’ Monument (Maqam Echahid).

Statistics of the Catholic Church in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024 (from the Central Office of Church Statistics)

Table 1 – Population and ecclesiastic structure in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

Table 2 - People engaged in activities of the apostolate in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

Table 3 - Indicators of pastoral workload in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

Table 4 – Priestly vocations in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

Table 5 - Educational centres owned / managed by ecclesiastics or religious in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

Table 6 - Charitable and social centres owned / managed by ecclesiastics or religious in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

 

The following are some statistical data regarding the situation of the Catholic Church in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024:

Table 1 – Population and ecclesiastic structure in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

 

 

Algeria

Cameroon

Angola

Equatorial Guinea

Area (km²)

2,381,741

475,442

1,246,700

28,051

Population

(in thousands)

46,794

28,759

35,122

1,669

Density (inhabitants/Km 2 )

20

60

28

59

Catholics (in thousands)

9

8,303

20,310

1,248

Catholics per 100 inhabitants

0.02

28.87

57.83

74.78

Ecclesiastical circumscriptions

4

26

20

5

Parishes

29

1,426

519

99

Other pastoral centres

5

3,019

1,483

568

Catholics per pastoral centre

257

1,868

10,145

1,871

 

Table 2 - People engaged in activities of the apostolate in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

 

Algeria

Cameroon

Angola

Equatorial Guinea

 

Bishops¹

9

35

27

6

Diocesan priests

12

2,388

1,007

172

Religious priests

48

912

504

93

Priests in total

60

3,300

1,511

265

Permanent deacons

1

21

18

3

Men religious (other than professed priests)

18

260

340

28

Professed women religious

105

3,331

2,460

169

Members of Secular Institutes

-

33

8

1

Lay missionaries

20

108

43

19

Catechists

6

26,328

56,559

790

______________________

  ¹ Situation as of 28.02.2026

 

Table 3 - Indicators of pastoral workload in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

 

 

Algeria

Cameroon

Angola

Equatorial Guinea

 

Catholics per priest                                                   

146

2.516

13,441

4,709

Catholics per pastoral worker

41

248

333

974

Priests per pastoral centre

1.76

0.74

0.76

0.40

Priests per 100 people engaged in activities of the apostolate                                                         

30.9

10.0

2.5

21.2

 

Table 4 – Priestly vocations in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024  

Algeria

Cameroon

Angola

Equatorial Guinea

Minor seminarians

-

1,831

1,598

52

Major seminarians

4

2,218

2,366

105

Major seminarians per 100,000 inhabitants

0.01

7.71

6.74

6.29

Major seminarians per 100,000 Catholics

45.77

26.71

11.65

8.41

Major seminarians per 100 priests

6.67

67.21

156.59

39.62

 

Table 5 - Educational centres owned / managed by ecclesiastics or religious in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

 

Algeria

Cameroon

Angola

Equatorial Guinea

Schools:

 

 

 

 

-       Pre-school and primary

3

1,668

389

86

-       Middle and secondary

2

276

131

31

-       Higher education and universities

9

34

10

3

Students of:

 

 

 

 

-       Pre-school and primary

230

299,586

321,122

17,617

-       Middle and secondary

100

127,871

121,218

8,129

-       Higher education and universities

2,617

15,842

24,233

112

 

Table 6 - Charitable and social centres owned / managed by ecclesiastics or religious in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea as of 31 December 2024

 

Algeria

Cameroon

Angola

Equatorial Guinea

 

Hospitals

-

59

48

-

Clinics

1

279

76

9

Leper colonies

-

7

7

1

Homes for the elderly and disabled

2

12

12

3

Orphanages and nurseries

5

42

112

6

Family consultation centres

1

21

5

-

Special social education or rehabilitation centres

-

30

5

1

Other institutions

9

138

70

15

Resignation and appointment of apostolic nuncio in Germany

Resignation of bishop of Nicopolis, Bulgaria, and appointment of apostolic administrator  sede vacante

Appointment of members of the Dicastery for Communication

 

Resignation and appointment of apostolic nuncio in Germany

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the office of apostolic nuncio in Germany, upon reaching the age limit, presented by Archbishop Nikola Eterović, and has appointed Archbishop Hubertus Matheus Maria van Megen, titular of Novaliciana, until now apostolic nuncio in Kenya, as apostolic nuncio in Germany.

 

Resignation of bishop of Nicopolis, Bulgaria, and appointment of apostolic administrator  sede vacante

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Nicopolis, Bulgaria, presented by Bishop Strahil Veselinov Kavalenov, and has appointed Bishop Rumen Ivanov Stanev of Sofia and Plovdiv as apostolic administrator  sede vacante  of the same circumscription.

 

Appointment of members of the Dicastery for Communication

The Holy Father has appointed the following as members of the Dicastery for Communication: Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Section for First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches; Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, O.F.M. Cap., archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, president of the Symposium des Conférences Episcopales d’Afrique et de Madagascar ; Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, S.D.B., archbishop of Rabat, Morocco; Cardinal Filipe Neri António Sebastião do Rosário Ferrão, archbishop of Goa and Damão, India, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences ; Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education; Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Section for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelization in the World; Archbishop Ryan Jimenez P. of Agaña, Guam; Bishop Bernardin Francis Mfumbasa of Kondoa, Tanzania, president of the Pan African Episcopal Committee for Communications ; Bishop Marcelino Antonio M. Maralit of San Pablo, Philippines, president of the Office of Social Communications of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences ; Bishop Lizardo Estrada Herrera, O.S.A., auxiliary bishop and vicar general of Cuzco, Peru, secretary general of the Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano y Caribeño ; the Reverend Father Roberto Pasolini, O.F.M. Cap., preacher of the Papal Household; and the distinguished Dr. Helen Osman, president of SIGNIS.

Today ,  Thursday 9 April 2026 , at  13.00 , at the Holy See Press Office, Via della Conciliazione 54, the Director Matteo Bruni will give a  briefing to present the programme of the Apostolic Journey of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea , from 13 to 23 April 2026.

Remote participation

Journalists and media operators who wish to participate in the Briefing remotely must apply, no later than two hours before the event, via the Holy See Press Office online accreditation system at  https://press.vatican.va/accreditamenti , selecting the event:  Briefing Viaggio Apostolico Algeria, Camerun, Angola e Guinea Equatoriale .

During the request phase, please select the option “Sì” in the box “Partecipazione da remoto”.

Journalists and media operators who are admitted will receive confirmation of participation via the online accreditation system and, at the same time, the link to access the virtual platform and participate actively in the Briefing, with the possibility to ask questions.l

Participation in person

Journalists and media operators who wish to participate in the Briefing in person must apply, no later than 24 hours before the event, via the Holy See Press Office online accreditation system at  https://press.vatican.va/accreditamenti , selecting the event:  Briefing Viaggio Apostolico Algeria, Camerun, Angola e Guinea Equatoriale .

Journalists and media operators who are admitted will receive confirmation of participation via the online accreditation system.

* * *

Journalists and media operators accredited for the Briefing are advised to arrive 30 minutes before the start time.

This morning, the Holy Father received in audience:

- Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, titular of Sepino, apostolic nuncio in the United States of America;

- Dr. Federico Antellini Russo, director of the Supervisory and Financial Information Authority;

- Mr. Carlo De Benedetti, national coordinator of the Cursillos de Cristiandad in Italy;

- Ms. Chiara Amirante, founder of the Nuovi Orizzonti (New Horizons) Foundation;

- Athletes of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games;

- Mr. David M. Axelrod, and entourage.