Pope Leo XIV honored the memory of Algeria’s Christian martyrs on April 13, telling the country’s small Catholic community that those who died for their faith left behind “a living seed that never ceases to bear fruit.”
The pope addressed Catholics inside the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa in Algiers, where he praised the 19 religious men and women beatified in 2018 after being killed during the Algerian Civil War. He said, “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.”
The visit highlights a significant moment for Algeria’s Catholic minority—fewer than 9,000 people in a nation with over 45 million Sunni Muslims. Pope Leo described this presence as “discrete and precious.” Before his arrival at the basilica, he visited the Great Mosque of Algiers, stating in Italian: “Through this place of prayer…we can learn to respect one another, live in harmony and build a world of peace.” Inside, Pope Leo spoke under an apse mosaic reading “Our Lady of Africa, pray for us and for the Muslims.”
Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco told Pope Leo that most visitors to Our Lady of Africa are Muslim. The cardinal said: “‘Madame l’Afrique,’ as she is often called here…expresses Mary’s maternal vocation for all humanity.” Father Jean Fernandes Costa described local Catholics as diverse but few in number; he called dialogue with Algerian society essential due to its predominantly Muslim character.
The event drew people from various backgrounds despite heavy rain outside. Sister Brigitte Zawadi from Congo shared her mission working with students from across Africa. Rakel Anzere from Kenya recounted her experience participating in ecumenical prayers with other students.
Earlier that day, Pope Leo privately visited Augustinian Missionary Sisters whose members were among those beatified after being killed during civil unrest. The pope later prayed before relics associated with St. Augustine’s family at a side chapel.
In his remarks about Algeria’s vast Sahara Desert as spiritual metaphor, Pope Leo said: “In the desert no one can survive alone…reminding us that we need one another—and we need God.” His visit concluded at Our Lady of Africa before further travel through four African nations until April 23.
