During his speech at the Martyrs Memorial, Pope Leon XIV confronted the Algerian regime with its contradictions. His words of truth illustrate the contradictions of the regime.
By Hichem Aboud
It was supposed to be a historic moment, carefully staged to improve the country’s image. Pope Leon XIV’s visit to Algeria, a first, was intended as a diplomatic showcase, a communication operation aimed at projecting the image of a peaceful, open, and respectful state. But in just a few hours, this scenario fell apart, caught up by the reality on the ground and the force of a speech that, while measured, sounded like a call to order.
A speech that disturbs
Facing President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in the solemn setting of the cultural center of the grand mosque in Algiers, the pontiff did not mince words. Without explicitly naming the regime, he outlined it with remarkable precision.
“The authorities are called not to dominate, but to serve the people,” he declared, before emphasizing a fundamental principle: “the criterion of political action lies in justice, without which there is no authentic peace.”
In a country where political arrests, restrictions on freedoms, and the lockdown of public space are regularly denounced, these words resonated beyond a mere spiritual exhortation. They took the form of a diagnosis and, even more, of an implicit disavowal.
The pope went further, calling to “educate in critical thinking and freedom”, to “recognize in those who are different a companion on the road and not a threat.” A message difficult to reconcile with a political system based on suspicion, repression, and the exclusion of any dissenting voice.
Blida: A deafening silence
As if this speech was not enough to disrupt the official staging, the papal visit was immediately overshadowed by explosions in the city of Blida, about fifty kilometers from Algiers. A garrison city housing the headquarters of the 1st military region, the military court and prison, an air base, the reserve officers’ training school, the regional technical center for research and investigations (internal security), and other military facilities. This gives the city a highly secure status.
Two explosions, described by some as attempts at attacks, shook this strategic garrison city in the early hours of the visit. Yet, the authorities remained silent. More troubling: the national press, from all sides, ignored the event.
No confirmation, no explanation. Just a heavy silence, accompanied by unofficial denials relayed by channels close to power. A version considered not very credible in light of images circulating on social networks and the questions raised by international media.
This silence did not smother the issue. It amplified it.
A double-edged strategy
For several years, the Algerian government has been trying to impose a security narrative, going as far as labeling peaceful political movements like the MAK or Rachad, as well as journalists and influencers, as “terrorist organizations.”
In this context, the lack of communication about explosions during a major international visit raises questions. Why silence an event that elsewhere would have been immediately exploited to justify a strengthened security posture?
This choice, far from protecting the regime’s image, exposed it. It revealed a deep contradiction: that of a power oscillating between the desire to control the narrative and the fear of losing it.
A visit that leaves traces
In the end, Pope Leon XIV’s visit did not provide the Algerian regime with the showcase it hoped for. Instead, it acted as a revealer.
A revealer of a gap between official discourse and reality. A revealer of a weakened system, unable to publicly acknowledge events that inconvenience it. A revealer, finally, of a voice from elsewhere, strong enough to shine a light on what we try to silence.
Now remains a central question: will Abdelmadjid Tebboune be able to hear the message, or will he choose, once again, to ignore it?
