By Isabella H. de Carvalho
Retracing the footsteps of St Augustine, Pope Leo XIV visited the archaeological site of Hippo in the modern-day city of Annaba on Tuesday, Apr 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.
The first Pope to visit Algeria
Although Pope Leo is the first Pope to visit Algeria, he recalled in an address on Apr 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.”
Upcoming appointments
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, Apr 15, he will travel to Cameroon for the second leg of his Apostolic Journey, which will also take him to Angola and Equatorial Guinea. – Vatican News
