Vatican announces possible visit to Algeria by Pope Francis

The Vatican has announced that a visit to Algeria by Pope Francis is possible in order to oversee the reburial ceremony for 19 monks who were killed between 1994 and 1996 during the civil war in the North African country. The ceremony will take place in Oran Cathedral.

The Bishop of Oran, John Paul Vissou, said in January that the Algerian authorities had given the go-ahead for the reburial after the Vatican issued a decree that gave the title of “martyr” to the monks. The date of the ceremony has not yet been determined, but is expected to be revealed soon.

Read: Execution of French monks in Algeria, the details

An official invitation from Algerian authorities mentions “a short visit for the Pope to Oran, during which he will personally oversee the beatification ceremony.” This was discussed between representatives of the Church in Algeria and the Pope during a recent meeting.

In the spring of 1996, during the Algerian Civil War, seven of the 19 French Trappist monks based in their monastery in Tibhirine in the Atlas Mountains were kidnapped by an armed group. Two months later, on 23 May 1996, the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) claimed responsibility for the monks’ murder and, a week later, seven heads were found on a road near the city of Medea.