On the second day of his Apostolic Journey to Algeria, Pope Leo XIV flew to Annaba—the site of the ancient city of Hippo, where St. Augustine served as Bishop.

After visiting the archaeological site, the Pope spent a few minutes with several elderly people residing at the Ma Maison Care Home for the Elderly, run by the Little Sisters of the Poor.

In his brief address, he told residents that “God dwells here,” noting that “wherever there is love and service, God is there.”

Pope Leo especially thanked Salah Bouchemel for his words of greeting, in which the elderly Algerian Muslim resident of the facility upheld the respect for one another and their religion he has enjoyed at the care home.

In response, the Pope said God would surely recognize the hope that lives in a place where people strive to live together in fraternity.

“God’s heart is torn apart by wars, violence, injustice, and lies,” he said. “But our Father’s heart is not with the wicked, the arrogant, or the proud.”

Rather, said Pope Leo, God dwells with those who build up His Kingdom in service.

“God’s heart is with the little ones and the humble,” he said, “and with them He builds up His Kingdom of love and peace day-by-day, just as you are striving to do here in your daily service, friendship, and life together.”

Pope Leo was also greeted by Archbishop Paul Desfarges, SJ, who served as Bishop of Constantine-Hippone between 2008 and 2021 and who now resides with the Little Sisters of the Poor.

The archbishop said the sisters and the care home’s staff perform daily miracles with their care and attention, in actions as simple as a warm handshake that brings people closer together.

The Pope thanked Archbishop Desfarges for his welcome, and praised his witness in living side-by-side with the elderly residents.

He recalled Jesus’ words (Luke 10:21) that the Father has hidden His secrets from the wise and intelligent but revealed them to little children.

Pope Leo XIV concluded his address by thanking the sisters and residents for their witness and presenting them with a mosaic of the Risen Christ as a gift.

Created by the late Albanian mosaicist Josif Droboniku, the mosaic fits in the ancient Byzantine tradition and exhorts everyone in Greek to “Go and make disciples of all nations.”

According to a note accompanying the mosaic, the work of art offers an invitation “to let oneself be illumined by the Risen Christ’s presence and to carry, through charity and service, the reflection of His mercy wherever the human heart awaits consolation and hope.”

Pope Leo visits Hippo archeological site in Annaba

Retracing the footsteps of St. Augustine, Pope Leo XIV visited the archaeological site of Hippo in the modern-day city of Annaba on Tuesday, April 14, the second day of his Apostolic Journey to Algeria.

Ancient Hippo, or Hippo Regius, today Annaba, was an important coastal city and economic center of the Roman Empire. St. Augustine served as its Bishop from 396 until his death in 430 at the age of 75, as the city was under siege by the Vandals.

Today, several remains of the Roman city are preserved, such as a paved forum, a theatre, a market, baths, cisterns, and figurative mosaics. Similarly, Christian elements from that time have also been maintained, including the so-called Basilica Pacis—where St. Augustine carried out his ministry—and a baptistery.

Under stormy skies, Pope Leo was welcomed at the archeological site by a representative. In the distance, one could see the Basilica of St. Augustine—where later the Pope will preside at Mass—sitting on top of a hill. 

The Pope then moved to lay out a wreath of flowers and paused to pray briefly amidst the ancient stones in the land walked on by his spiritual father. He then planted an olive tree and heard the choir from Annaba's Music Institute sing songs based on texts by St. Augustine on peace and fraternity. 

Although Pope Leo is the first Pope to visit Algeria, he recalled in an address on April 13 to the country’s authorities that he had already visited Annaba twice, in 2004 and 2013, “as a spiritual son of Saint Augustine." 

“I am grateful for the mysterious plan of divine providence that has arranged for me to return here again as Successor of Peter,” he said.

On the flight on the way to Algiers from Rome earlier on Monday morning, the Pope also highlighted how St. Augustine “represents a very important bridge in interreligious dialogue” and that “he is deeply loved in his homeland.”

“Having the opportunity to visit the places associated with the life of St. Augustine, where he was Bishop in the city of Hippo, now known as Annaba, is truly a blessing for me personally,” he had said.

“I believe it is also a blessing for the Church and for the world, because we must always seek bridges to build peace and reconciliation.”

Pope Leo XIV’s next stop is a visit to a care home for the elderly run by the Little Sisters of the Poor. Then he holds a private meeting with members of the Augustinian Order at their Community House, before presiding over Mass at the Basilica of St. Augustine.

At the end of the day, the Pope takes a flight back to the Algerian capital, Algiers.

The following day, Wednesday, April 15, he will travel to Cameroon for the second leg of his Apostolic Journey, which will also take him to Angola and Equatorial Guinea.