Pope Leo set off on Monday (April 13) for an ambitious 10-day tour of four countries in Africa, in a bid to urge global leaders to address the needs on the continent where more than a fifth of the world's Catholics live.

The first U.S. pope - who was the target of an unusual, direct attack from President Donald Trump late on Sunday (April 12) that drew sharp rebuke from Catholics - left Italy for Algeria, where he will spend two days.

He and his entourage departed Rome's Fiumicino airport shortly after 9 am (0700 GMT) heading for Algiers, where he will meet Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune before addressing the country's political leaders.

Leo is undertaking a whirlwind tour to 11 cities and towns, traversing nearly 18,000 km (11,185 miles) over 18 flights and will also visit Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea.

The pope, who has emerged as an outspoken critic of the Iran war, has made only one big overseas trip since being elected last May, visiting Turkey and Lebanon in November and December. He visited Monaco in March.

Leo, aged 70, relatively young and in good health for a pope, is undertaking one of the most complicated tours arranged for a pontiff in decades.

More than 20% of the world's Catholics live in Africa, according to Vatican statistics. The three sub-Saharan nations the pope is visiting have populations where more than half identify as Catholic.

Algeria, though, is an overwhelmingly Muslim country with under 10,000 Catholics among its population of some 48 million people. This is the first time it will host a Catholic pope.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Pope Leo departs Rome to begin 10-day Africa tour

VIDEO SHOWS: POPE LEO BOARDING PLANE, PLANE TAKING OFF

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: ROME, ITALY (APRIL 13, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. OFFICIALS STANDING ON TARMAC NEAR PLANE

2. PLANE FLYING ITALIAN, VATICAN FLAGS

3. OFFICIALS STANDING NEAR PLANE

4. CAR CARRYING POPE LEO ARRIVING

5. POPE GETTING OUT OF CAR

6. MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES

7. VARIOUS OF POPE GREETING OFFICIALS

8. PLANE WINDOWS

9. VICE-REGENT OF PREFECTURE OF PAPAL HOUSEHOLD, EDWARD DALENG, GREETING POPE / POPE WALKING UP PLANE STAIRS, POPE WAVING FROM OUTSIDE PLANE / POPE GREETING CREW

10. OFFICIALS STANDING ON TARMAC

11. PLANE FLYING ITALIAN, VATICAN FLAGS

12. AIRPORT CREW WORKING

13. PLANE TAXIING FOR TAKE OFF

14. PLANES

15. PLANE TAKING OFF

16. PLANE FLYING