Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV will undertake a series of major pastoral journeys in the coming months, visiting Africa, Monaco and Spain, the Holy See Press Office announced on Wednesday.
Pope’s first trip will be a one day visit to the Principality of Monaco on March 28, followed by a ten day journey to Africa from April 13 to 23. He will later travel to Spain from June 6 to 12, including stops in Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands.
These visits continue Pope’s global pastoral outreach after his late 2025 journey to Türkiye and Lebanon and planned visits within Italy.
Africa journey focused on peace and solidarity
The longest journey will take Pope Leo XIV to four African nations. He will begin in Algeria, visiting Algiers and Annaba, linked to Saint Augustine of Hippo. He will then travel to Cameroon, stopping in Yaoundé, Bamenda and Douala, including the Anglophone region where conflict has persisted for nearly a decade.
From Cameroon, Pope will visit Angola, with stops in Luanda, Muxima and Saurimo, before concluding in Equatorial Guinea, where he will travel to Malabo, Mongomo and Bata. Equatorial Guinea is the only Spanish speaking country in Africa.
The visit is expected to highlight peace, care for the poor and support for those serving vulnerable communities. It will also emphasize Christian witness in diverse cultural and religious contexts.
Monaco visit ahead of Holy Week
Pope Leo XIV will begin his international journeys with a brief visit to Monaco on March 28, responding to longstanding invitations from the principality’s authorities.
Catholicism is the state religion in Monaco, and cooperation between Church and civil institutions plays an important role in public life. The visit will mark the first papal trip to the principality in the modern era.
Spain visit and Gaudí centenary
From June 6 to 12, Pope will visit Spain, beginning in Madrid before traveling to Barcelona, where he will inaugurate the newest and tallest tower of the Sagrada Familia basilica.
The visit coincides with the centenary of the death of architect Antoni Gaudí, whose vision shaped the iconic church and who was declared Venerable Servant of God last year.
Pope will then travel to the Canary Islands, visiting Tenerife and Gran Canaria. The visit reflects concern for migrants arriving along the Atlantic migration route from Africa to Europe and fulfills a journey long desired by the late Pope Francis.
A journey across diverse realities
Through these journeys, Pope Leo XIV will encounter Muslim majority Algeria, Christian communities in Central and Southern Africa, the small European state of Monaco, and Spain, a nation deeply shaped by Christianity yet influenced by modern secularization.
The visits are expected to emphasize peace, dialogue, migration challenges and the vitality of faith in different parts of the world.