On the second day of his groundbreaking first-ever papal visit to Algeria, Pope Leo XIV is set to travel to the northeastern coastal city of Annaba on Tuesday to walk in the footsteps of one of Christianity’s most influential theologians, Saint Augustine. This trip marks the opening stop of a four-nation African tour that already made history on Monday, when the American-born pontiff became the first pope to set foot on Algerian soil — but the opening day of his journey was largely overshadowed by sharp public criticism from United States President Donald Trump.
Annaba, which was known as the ancient Roman city of Hippo in centuries past, was Saint Augustine’s long-time home. The theologian’s autobiographical work *Confessions* remains a foundational text across Christian denominations worldwide, holding deep spiritual and cultural significance for believers across the globe. As a member of the Augustinian religious order, Pope Leo has previously described himself as a “son” of Saint Augustine, adding personal weight to this stop on his itinerary.
During his day in Annaba, the pontiff will first tour the archaeological vestiges of the city’s ancient Roman and early Christian past, before stopping at a reception center operated by Catholic nuns that provides support and care for low-income elderly residents of the city. In the afternoon, he is scheduled to lead an open-air Mass at the hilltop Basilica of Saint Augustine, with clergy from across the African continent in attendance.
On Monday, during his first public remarks in the Algerian capital of Algiers following his arrival, Pope Leo honored the memory of those killed during Algeria’s 1954–1962 war of independence from French colonial rule, and issued a powerful call for cross-community forgiveness. His comments come at a moment of sharply elevated diplomatic tensions between Algiers and Paris, and were delivered just days after he held a private meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Vatican.
Beyond addressing historical tensions, the pope also used his address to urge Algeria’s ruling leadership to embrace greater public participation in national political life, calling for the growth of a “vibrant, dynamic and free civil society.” His appeal follows years of restricted civic space after the 2019 pro-democracy Hirak protest movement, which demanded sweeping governmental reform and greater institutional transparency. International human rights organizations have documented consistent rolling back of civil freedoms and increased state control over public assembly and expression in the years since the protests began. “Authorities are called not to dominate, but to serve the people and foster their development,” the pontiff told the crowd gathered at Algiers’ Basilica of Our Lady of Africa.
The most high-profile drama of the trip’s opening day came not from Algerian politics, however, but from across the Atlantic, where Trump launched repeated public attacks on the pope over his recent calls for peace in the Middle East. Pope Leo’s calls for de-escalation in the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war against Iran have drawn fierce pushback from the American president, who lashed out at the pontiff before the trip even began. In pre-trip comments, Trump accused the pope of “toying with a country (Iran) that wants a nuclear weapon,” and added that he was “not a big fan” of the current pontiff.
When faced with public outcry over his remarks after the pope arrived in Algeria on Monday, Trump doubled down on his criticism, saying he had “nothing to apologise for” and insisted that the pope was “wrong” to speak out on the conflict. Aboard the papal plane en route to Algiers, the pope pushed back against the attacks with calm resolve, telling reporters that the Gospel itself mandates advocacy for peace. “The Gospel says… blessed are the peacemakers,” he said, adding: “I have no fear, neither of the Trump administration, nor speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.”
After wrapping up his two-day visit to Algeria on Wednesday, Pope Leo will travel onward to Cameroon, the second stop on his four-nation African tour. He will then continue to Angola and Equatorial Guinea for official visits before concluding the trip.