At the Martyrs\u2019 Monument in Algiers, the pope\u2019s first message on Algerian soil was an appeal for peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation.<\/p>\n
ALGIERS, Algeria \u2014 Pope Leo XIV arrived in Algeria on Monday and delivered his first address in the country at the Maqam Echahid Martyrs\u2019 Monument, where he urged forgiveness and said that \u201cthe future belongs to men and women of peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
The visit marked the first time a pope has set foot in Algeria. After a roughly two-hour flight, Leo traveled first not to meet diplomats or civil authorities but to the national monument honoring those who died in Algeria\u2019s struggle for independence.<\/p>\n
In intermittent rain, the pope laid a wreath at the monument and paused in prayer as a military band played. He then addressed those gathered, opening with the greeting: \u201cPeace be with you! As-salamu alaykum!\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo said he had come to Algeria \u201cas the successor of the apostle Peter\u201d but \u201cfirst and foremost as a brother\u201d seeking to renew bonds of affection. Looking at the Algerian people, he said, \u201cI see the face of a strong and young people, whose hospitality and fraternity I have experienced frequently.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the Algerian heart, friendship, trust, and solidarity are not merely words but values that matter and give warmth and strength to your life together,\u201d the pope said.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on Algeria\u2019s history, Leo acknowledged both its deep traditions and its painful periods of violence. \u201cOur 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The pope then turned to his central theme: peace rooted in justice, dignity, and forgiveness.<\/p>\n
\u201cGod 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,\u201d he said. \u201cThis peace, which allows us to face the future with a reconciled spirit, is possible only through forgiveness.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe true struggle for liberation will be definitively won only when peace in our hearts has finally been achieved,\u201d Leo added. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
He continued: \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking in a country shaped by multiple cultures and religions, Leo said \u201cmutual respect is the path that enables everyone to walk together\u201d and expressed hope that Algeria would continue contributing \u201cto stability and dialogue within the international community and along the shores of the Mediterranean.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pope also praised the place of faith in Algerian society, saying that \u201cfaith in God has a central place in your heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA nation that loves God possesses true wealth, and the Algerian people cherish this jewel as one of their treasures,\u201d he said. \u201cOur world needs believers like this \u2014 men and women of faith who thirst for justice and unity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo warned against the false promise of material wealth, saying there are those who \u201csearch for riches that fade away, deceive, and disappoint, and which sadly often end up corrupting the human heart, giving rise to envy, rivalry, and conflict.\u201d Quoting Christ, he asked: \u201cFor what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life?\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the dead honored at the monument had already answered that question: \u201cThey lost their lives but in doing so, they gave them up for the love of their own people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMay their example sustain the people of Algeria and all of us on our journey, for true freedom is not merely inherited, it is chosen anew every day,\u201d the pope said.<\/p>\n
Leo concluded by reading the beatitudes.<\/p>\n
The pope landed in Algiers at about 10:30 a.m. local time and was welcomed at the airport before a private greeting with Algeria\u2019s president. Because Catholics make up only a small minority in the country, the visit is not expected to feature large crowds.<\/p>\n
Still, the city prepared carefully for the papal arrival, with some facades refreshed, roads repaved, green spaces embellished, and large flower pots placed along part of the route.<\/p>\n
Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, archbishop of Algiers, welcomed Leo by describing the Algerian people as proud yet marked by a painful history. He said they are \u201cstrong in their youth\u201d while still bearing the memory of martyrs from different eras, including the colonial period, the war of independence, and the violence of the 1990s and 2000s.<\/p>\n
Marco Mancini contributed to this article. This story\u00a0was first published\u00a0by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.<\/p>\n