The information officialized by the Sovereign Pontiff this February 25 is also contained in a press release from the Apostolic Nunciature in Cameroon.
Things are becoming clearer regarding the upcoming visit of Pope Leo XIV to Cameroon. His Holiness the Pope will undertake an apostolic journey to Cameroon from April 15 to 18, 2026. During this trip, the head of the Catholic Church in the world will visit three strategic cities, namely Yaoundé, the political capital and seat of the Republic’s institutions; Bamenda, the regional capital of the North-West and one of the largest cities in the English-speaking zone, which has been under the grip of a security crisis for nearly 10 years; and Douala, the economic capital of Cameroon and the maritime gateway for several countries in the Central African sub-region. The same city offers a glimpse into the daily realities of populations from all strata of society.
The visit of the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church to Cameroon is part of his list of three international trips planned between February and April 2026. Indeed, the Sovereign Pontiff will make an apostolic journey that will take him to four African countries, including Algeria (Algiers and Annaba) from April 13 to 15, Cameroon from April 15 to 18, Angola (Luanda, Muxima, and Saurimo) from April 18 to 21, and Equatorial Guinea (Malabo, Mongomo, and Bata) from April 21 to 23. Before his trip to Africa, the Pope plans to visit Monaco on March 28, his first European destination outside Italy. His tour will conclude with a visit to Spain. From June 6 to 12, 2026, he will visit the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, and the Caribbean archipelago.
The Pontiff arrives in Cameroon at the beginning of President Paul Biya’s 8th term at the head of Cameroon, a mandate obtained following the presidential election of October 12, 2025. An election at the end of which tensions led to the death of several civilians, the destruction of many public buildings, as well as the detention of several hundred people, not to mention the exile of certain political actors.
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These political tensions met persistent security problems in the North-West, South-West, and Far-North regions. Populations in these areas live through the horrors of security crises pitting the Defense and Security Forces against the terrorist group Boko Haram (Far-North) and separatist fighters (English-speaking zone). Furthermore, governance issues, rampant inflation, and the multiple sufferings faced by the population had already led the bishops of Cameroon to speak out before the presidential election to specify the profile of a head of state in Cameroon.
For the 4th time, the head of the Catholic Church arrives in Cameroon, where approximately 10 million faithful spread across 26 dioceses express their faith. While awaiting the official program of this visit, a one-on-one meeting is planned between the head of the Vatican State, Pope Leo XIV, and President Paul Biya, the head of state who had already received Pope John Paul II twice (from August 10 to 14, 1985, and from September 14 to 19, 1995) and Pope Benedict XVI from March 17 to 23, 2009.
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