Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Michel Guillaud as bishop of the Diocese of Constantine-Hippo in Algeria, the Vatican press office announced on July 11, 2025. While the diocese has been modified since the 300s, it is historically the see where St. Augustine was bishop.
Hippo is now called Annaba. Hippo, the ancient name of the city, probably in reference to the word for harbor.
St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) is the saint and Doctor of the Church that is the inspiration for the Pope's religious order, the Augustinians.
A bishop specialized in Islamic studies
Since 2024, Bishop Guillaud has been administrator of this diocese. The episcopal see of Constantine-Hippo had been vacant since the departure of the previous bishop, Bishop Nicolas Lhernould, who was appointed archbishop of Tunis in April 2024.
Although the Catholic population of this diocese is very small (less than 1,000 faithful and only a couple dozen priests), it is of historical importance to the Church as it is the former episcopal see of St. Augustine, who was a native of the region and bishop of Hippo from 396 to 430.
The new bishop of Constantine, Bishop Guillaud, 64, knows this Algerian diocese well, having been parish priest there since 2006.
Ordained a priest for the Diocese of Lyon in 1990, he served as chaplain of the Catholic University of Lyon before moving to Algeria. Today, the country is 99% Sunni Muslim. While Arabic is the official language, French is the lingua franca.
Between 2020 and 2024, this priest specializing in Islamic studies was vicar general of the Diocese of Constantine, also serving as secretary general of the Episcopal Conference of North Africa (CERNA) from 2015 to 2025.
Since 2024 and the departure of Bishop Lhernould, he has been the apostolic administrator of the diocese.
The Diocese of Constantine-Hippo is known for having been the diocese of St. Augustine. This Doctor of the Church — a title given to the most important theologians — is the great inspiration behind the rule of the Order of Saint Augustine, to which Pope Leo XIV belongs. While the Algerian government highlights the origins of St. Augustine, no pope in the modern era has visited Algeria.
According to sources consulted by I.MEDIA, a trip by Pope Francis to the country was under consideration. “The Pope would be happy to visit Algeria,” Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop of Algiers, told an Algerian media outlet in December 2024.
Such a project could now be taken up by his successor, Leo XIV.
