‘The future belongs to men and women of peace,’ Pope says in first Algerian address
April 13, 2026
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Algeria this morning and emphasized in his first address that “the future belongs to men and women of peace.”
The Pontiff delivered the address (video) at Maqam Echahid, a monument to Algerians who died in its war of independence from France. The address followed a welcome ceremony at Houari Boumediene Airport (video).
“I give thanks to God for giving me the opportunity to visit your country as the Successor of the Apostle Peter, after having already done so twice as a spiritual son of Saint Augustine,” Pope Leo said. “However, I stand before you first and foremost as a brother who is delighted to be able to renew, through this meeting, the bonds of affection that bring our hearts closer together.”
“Our presence here at this monument pays tribute to this history of Algeria and to the very spirit of a people who fought for the independence, dignity and sovereignty of this nation,” the Pope continued. “In this place, let us remember that God desires peace for every nation: a peace that is not merely an absence of conflict, but one that is an expression of justice and dignity.”
The Pope explained:
This peace, which allows us to face the future with a reconciled spirit, is possible only through forgiveness. The true struggle for liberation will be definitively won only when peace in our hearts has finally been achieved. I know how difficult it is to forgive. However, as conflicts continue to multiply throughout the world, we cannot add resentment upon resentment, generation after generation.
The future belongs to men and women of peace. In the end, justice will always triumph over injustice, just as violence, despite all appearances, will never have the last word.
“Our world needs believers like this—men and women of faith who thirst for justice and unity,” Pope Leo continued. “For this reason, in the face of a humanity yearning for fraternity and reconciliation, it is a great gift and a sacred duty for us to declare with conviction that we are always united as brothers and sisters, children of the one God!”
The Pontiff concluded by quoting the Beatitudes.
CWN coverage of Pope Leo’s apostolic journey to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea:
Day 1 (April 13)
- Pope departs for Africa
- Pope Leo: ‘I have no fear of the Trump administration’
- I am ‘very happy’ to visit the land of St. Augustine, Pope says on flight to Algeria
- ‘The future belongs to men and women of peace,’ Pope says in first Algerian address
- Pope calls on Algeria’s leaders to promote ‘vibrant, dynamic, and free civil society’
- Pope visits Great Mosque of Algiers, recalls St. Augustine’s search for truth
- Pope emphasizes prayer, charity, unity in address to Algerian Catholics
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