Annaba, the ancient Roman city of Hippo, was once again the setting for a meeting charged with spiritual emotion on April 14, 2026. Pope Leo XIV arrived there from Algiers to walk once more through the same places where Saint Augustine exercised his ministry for 34 years. He did not arrive as a distant pontiff, but as one who explicitly acknowledges himself as a “spiritual son” of the great Doctor of the Church.

The Pope himself recalled it with words full of gratitude: “You know that, as a spiritual son of Saint Augustine, I have already come to Annaba twice—in 2004 and in 2013—and I am grateful to Divine Providence because, according to its mysterious design, it has arranged for me to return here again, now as Successor of Peter.”

The day’s intense and symbolic program began with the Pope’s arrival at the airport at 10:32 a.m. local time. Despite the rain and strong winds that hampered outdoor travel, the welcome was warm: the Bishop of Constantine-Hippo, Algerian authorities, military personnel, girls in traditional dress offering flowers, and children greeting the Pontiff in Arabic, English, and Italian.

The first significant gesture took place at the archaeological site of Hippo. Leo XIV toured the ruins of the ancient Roman and Christian city, pausing particularly at the Basilica of Peace, where Augustine preached and presided over the community. There he laid a wreath while the choir of the Annaba Music Institute sang, and he dedicated a brief moment to silent prayer.

Next, the Pope visited the Little Sisters of the Poor’s nursing home, where five nuns lovingly care for about forty elderly people, most of them Muslim. Later, he met with the small community of Augustinian friars still living in Annaba, sharing lunch with them.

The day culminated with the celebration of Mass in the Basilica of Saint Augustine, which stands imposingly above the archaeological site. As evening fell, the Holy Father returned to Algiers.

Beyond the itinerary, the visit carried a clear message: Augustine’s legacy lives on in the search for truth, in the encounter with God, in the recognition of the dignity of every person, and in the effort to build peace. This is how Leo XIV expressed it when referring to the saint as one “who so longed to teach the world.”

With this gesture, the Pope not only paid homage to one of the giants of the Christian faith, but also reminded everyone that, even in Muslim-majority contexts like Algeria, dialogue, mutual respect and care for the most vulnerable remain possible and necessary paths.

A providential return, as he himself defined it. A simple day in appearance, but profound in its meaning: the “son” returned to his “spiritual father” on the land that unites them forever.

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