Pope starts Africa tour in Algeria and calls for peace against Iran war’s backdrop

Pope Leo XIV called for peace and the end of “neocolonial tendencies” in world affairs on Monday during the first papal visit to Algeria, all while facing an extraordinary broadside by President Donald Trump over his criticism of the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Leo’s arrival in Algiers marks the start of an 11-day tour of four African nations - Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea - that will bring the first US-born pope deep into the growing heart of the Catholic Church.

Leo is in Algeria to promote Christian-Muslim coexistence in the majority Muslim nation at a time of global conflict, and to honor the locally born inspiration of his religious spirituality, St Augustine. The trip began, however, against the backdrop of a growing feud between the Leo and Trump over the Iran war.

Trump overnight said he didn’t think Leo was doing a good job as pope and suggested he should “stop catering to the Radical Left.” Leo responded by saying his appeals for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel, and that he didn’t fear the Trump administration.