Pope Leo visits Grand Mosque of Algiers calling it "the space that belongs to God"

Pope Leo in the Grand Mosque. Photo: Vatican News

Pope Leo XIV visited the Great Mosque of Algiers at the beginning of his apostolic journey to Africa, where he highlighted the site’s spiritual significance and paused in silent meditation, reports Vatican News.

At the mosque, the pontiff met with its the rector of the Mosque, Mohamed Mamoun al Qasim. He thanked him for the reception and called the mosque "a place that represents the space that belongs to God."

At the conclusion of the visit, the pope signed the Mosque's Book of Honor, leaving an entry with a wish: "May the mercy of the Most High keep the noble Algerian people and the entire human family in peace and freedom."

The Great Mosque of Algiers, built on the initiative of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, is the third largest mosque in the world and can accommodate up to 120 thousand believers. The mosque's minaret, 267 meters high, is the tallest in the world.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that during Ramadan, Patriarch Theodore organized an Islamic iftar at his residence.

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