YAOUNDE, Cameroon — Pope Leo XIV arrived Wednesday in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, after a five-hour flight. While meeting with journalists aboard the papal plane, he delivered a brief address, thanking the Algerian authorities and reflecting on the first leg of the journey. Leo, speaking in English, expressed his “gratitude to all the authorities…

MANILA, Philippines — Amid growing concerns over mental health, Cardinal Jose Advincula, the archbishop of Manila, Philippines, stressed on April 2 that priests must prioritize their mental health to sustain their missionary work. Celebrating the chrism Mass on Holy Thursday at the Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, commonly known as Manila…

Just a few weeks since the death of her husband, Miguel, and amid her grief, Virginia Pérez de Santana, clutching a rosary, recounted with serenity and strength their story of a love that endures, sustained to the very last moment by the certainty that God exists and never abandons us. Although she grew up in…

Christians in Algeria say they are hoping Pope Leo XIV’s visit will be what “leads to change” as they have recently faced a massive spike in church closures and Christian arrests. Pope Leo is visiting Algeria April 13–15 for the first part of his African papal trip. The popeʼs presence has been “widely viewed by…

ANNABA, Algeria — Pope Leo XIV met privately Tuesday with fellow members of the Augustinian order, sharing lunch with the local community in what the order described as a “beautiful and pleasant” fraternal encounter. A statement from the Order of St. Augustine said the meeting reflected the joy of brothers dwelling together in unity. “After…

After concluding the first leg of his African apostolic journey in Algeria, Pope Leo XIV travels to Cameroon from April 15–18. In the Central African nation, the Holy Father is set to visit the capital, Yaoundé, and the metropolitan sees of Bamenda and Douala. If Algeria represents the Church as a small minority navigating a…