He has barely taken up the Fisherman’s Ring, yet Pope Leo XIV is already preparing to cross continents.
The Holy See Press Office has confirmed three major Apostolic Journeys for the first half of 2026: a day visit to Monaco on March 28; a ten-day mission to Africa from April 13–23; and a six-day visit to Spain in June.
This is not ceremonial travel. It is a declaration of intent.
From the palace courts of Monaco to conflict-scarred Cameroon, and from Saint Augustine’s Algeria to Gaudi’s Barcelona, the Holy Father is signalling that this papacy will move outward — toward the peripheries.
Monaco: A First in the Modern Era
On March 28, the eve of Holy Week, the Pope will make a brief but historic visit to the Principality of Monaco — the first such papal visit in the modern era.
Catholicism remains the State religion in the principality. The visit follows repeated invitations first extended to Pope Francis and now accepted by his successor.
Though brief, the symbolism is powerful: a Pope affirming dialogue between Church and state in one of Europe’s smallest nations.
Africa: In Augustine’s Footsteps
From April 13 to 23, Pope Leo XIV will visit Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea.
In Algeria, he will walk where Saint Augustine once preached, visiting Algiers and Annaba — ancient Hippo. In a Muslim-majority nation where Catholics are a small minority, the visit carries profound ecumenical and interreligious significance.
In Cameroon, the Pope will travel to Yaoundé, Bamenda and Douala, including the troubled Anglophone region, where a decade-long conflict has claimed thousands of lives.
Angola and Equatorial Guinea complete the journey — the latter being Africa’s only Spanish-speaking nation.
The scale of the trip recalls the ambitious 1985 African tour of Pope Saint John Paul II.
Spain: Gaudí and the Migrant Shores
From June 6 to 12, Pope Leo XIV will visit Madrid and Barcelona. In Barcelona, he will inaugurate the newest and tallest tower of the Sagrada Família, marking the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death.
The architect, declared Venerable last year, devoted his life to the basilica that still rises toward completion.
The journey concludes in the Canary Islands — Tenerife and Gran Canaria — one of Europe’s principal migrant entry points. Tens of thousands arrive there each year from Africa in search of safety.
It is a fitting conclusion to a programme that reflects continuity with Pope Francis: a Church that goes to the margins.
