Trump’s Dispute With Pope Adds Frisson to Historic Algeria Visit

Pope Leo XIV arrives for a meeting with Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune at the Presidential Palace in Algiers, on April 13.Photographer: Luca Zennaro/AFP/Getty Images

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April 14, 2026 at 9:35 AM UTC

Pope Leo XIV is in Algeria for a landmark visit as his dispute with US President Donald Trump shines a rare light on the North African country.

The pontiff on Monday kicked off an Africa tour in the Muslim-majority nation that’s been seeking to bolster its economic and diplomatic profile. He met President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in the capital, Algiers, and spoke of the world’s need for peace and forgiveness.