Khaberni - The Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, Leo XIV, Pope of the Vatican, continually expresses on every occasion his desire to make an official visit to Algeria, where this anticipated visit, if realized, arouses much curiosity about the reason behind this desire, given that Algeria is predominantly Muslim.
Pope of the Vatican said: "I personally hope to travel to Algeria to visit the places associated with the life of Saint Augustine, and also to continue dialogue and build bridges between the Christian world and the Islamic world." Undoubtedly, Pope’s focus on his relationship with Algeria as the home of Saint Augustine raises several questions regarding the scheduling of a historic visit by the Pope to Algeria, especially the city of Souk Ahras, the birthplace of Saint Augustine, due to his close connection to Saint Augustine and his belonging to the Augustinian monasteries, making a visit to Souk Ahras or Annaba, where Augustine died, a logical possibility.
It goes without saying that the visit would be a historic event, given the religious and cultural symbolism represented by Algeria, particularly souk Ahras and Annaba provinces, closely linked to the life of Saint Augustine, one of the greatest philosophers of Catholic Christianity.
In Roman times, Algeria was a vital center for the Western Christian Church. The historic city of Hippo, where Saint Augustine was born, was considered one of the finest centers of Christian thought, and the ruins of his church and library still stand as a testament to this profound era. Alongside Augustine, Algeria hosted dozens of bishops who served in the Christian Church, and remnants of that era are still present, both architecturally and culturally, making it today a part of the global religious movement.
The Church of Saint Augustine is located on Bukhadr Hill overlooking the port of Annaba, and the construction of the church took twenty years, starting in 1880 and ending in 1900. Twenty years during which architectural engineers put their finest expertise to work, ultimately creating a church that uniquely harmonizes Maghreb and Byzantine engineering, making it an artistic masterpiece, brimming with details of architectural creativity, carefully selected for their exquisite quality. The project was primarily based on Algerian resources of white marble, red alabaster, and even wood.
