Pope Leo XIV's recent visit to Algeria highlights the profound influence of Saint Augustine, an African thinker whose beliefs are central to the Pope's papacy and global interfaith relations.

• A new book by Professor Catherine Conybeare emphasizes Saint Augustine's African origins and their significance to Western thought.
• Saint Augustine (354-430 CE) was a philosopher and theologian from modern-day Algeria, known for works like Confessions and The City of God.
• Pope Leo XIV, the first Augustinian pope, shares intellectual and spiritual affinities with Saint Augustine, particularly in his emphasis on love, peace, and dialogue.
• Saint Augustine is recognized as a bridge-builder between Christianity and Islam, viewed as an important pre-Islamic thinker.