Leo’s Journey Ends in Rome After Farewell in Malabo: 11-Day, Four-Nation African Tour Concludes

Pope Leo XIV concluded his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa with a farewell Mass in Equatorial Guinea on Thursday, April 23, 2026, marking the end of a journey that took him across four nations from north to south.

The pontiff departed for Rome after a farewell ceremony at Malabo airport, wrapping up an extensive trip that began in Algeria and included stops in Cameroon and Angola before concluding in Equatorial Guinea.

During his return journey aboard the papal plane, Pope Leo XIV urged the United States and Iran to return to peace talks to end ongoing conflicts, emphasizing the need for a “culture of peace” to replace reliance on violence.

He condemned capital punishment in all forms, stating that human life must be respected from conception to natural death and that regimes taking lives unjustly should be condemned.