Pope Leo XIV calls Algiers mosque ‘space proper to God,’ makes silent prayer with imam

ALGIERS, Algeria (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV visited the third largest mosque in the world in Algiers, Algeria, and paused in silent prayer with the imam. During his last journey in Istanbul, he did not pray in the Blue Mosque.

On April 13, Pope Leo began his apostolic journey in Africa, with the first stop in Algeria – the first papal visit in the country’s history. During his stopover at the Mosque of Algiers, the Pope took off his shoes as required by protocol and paused in silent prayer together with Imam Mohamed Mamoun al Qasimi, showing a change of attitude compared to what he had done at the Blue Mosque in Istanbul during a prior apostolic voyage.

Pope Leo’s recent journey began with a visit to the Islamic place of worship, which ranks as the third largest mosque in the world, after those of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.

According to Vatican News, the Pope – after removing his shoes to enter, as required by protocol – remained inside for just under ten minutes, several of which were spent in “silent reflection” beside the imam and before the mihrab, the niche carved into the wall that indicates the direction of Mecca. It is toward this direction that Muslims orient themselves during prayer. According to Islamic tradition, the mihrab symbolizes the presence of God and the centrality of prayer.

Accompanying the Pope were two cardinals: George Jacob Koovakad, prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, and Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop of Algiers.

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As reported by the same Vatican outlet, the Pope then withdrew for a private moment of dialogue with the rector of the mosque, where he expressed “gratitude for being in a place that represents the space proper to God.”

Although the Pope, the imam, the cameramen, and the other operators closest to him had removed their shoes, other people farther from the cameras were visibly inside the mosque wearing footwear, which makes the visit seem more like a staged media display than a sincere gesture of religious reverence.

In November 2025, during his first apostolic journey in Turkey, Pope Leo visited the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. According to several sources, he took off his shoes as required by protocol, visited the mosque in silence and with respect, but declined the imam’s invitation to join in prayer.

The Vatican had initially announced that there would be a “brief moment of silent prayer” during the Istanbul visit, but later clarified that the Pontiff had chosen to experience the visit as a moment of listening and learning, rather than formal prayer. Later, Leo XIV explained that he prefers to pray in a Catholic church, before the Blessed Sacrament, and that his gesture was not meant to be interpreted as a sign of disrespect toward Islam.