Pope Leo heads to Monaco 488 years after the last papal visit | Pope Leo XIV
On Saturday, Pope Leo will travel to Monaco, a semi-enclave famous for casinos and superyachts, for his first European trip since being elected pope, causing consternation among some Vatican watchers, especially as it has been 488 years since the last papal visit.
Leo, who will travel by helicopter from the Vatican for a day trip, will be met at the helipad in Monaco by Prince Albert and his wife Princess Charlene, then taken to the palace, which has been the residence of the Grimaldi dynasty since the 13th century. This was the case of Pope Paul III in 1538. It was the first time a priest visited Monaco since Paul.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Monaco was “a small country with big horizons” and would provide Leo, who was elected the Catholic church’s first pope in the United States in May last year, with the first opportunity to speak to the whole of Europe.
Speaking to reporters before the trip, Bruni recalled the biblical image of “little ones playing an important role” and described Monaco, the world’s second smallest state after the Vatican, as a “laboratory of peace” due to the “responsible” use of wealth and influence.
After a private meeting with Albert, Leo will travel to Monaco’s cathedral in the popemobile before celebrating mass at the Stade Louis-II.
Monaco may be very rich, but it is also very Catholic. It is one of the few European countries where Catholicism is the official state religion, and in addition to the cathedral, Catholic churches (five) more than double the number of casinos.
Albert recently rejected a proposal to legalize abortion, citing the important role Catholicism plays in Monaco. While Bruni said one of the themes of the pope’s visit will be “the defense of life,” he emphasized that Leo’s focus will be on the broader context of the defense of all life, including wars.
About 15,000 Catholics are expected to attend Mass, with many flocking from the Italian border. Although entrance to the stadium for the service is free, participants must make advance reservations. Beautiful-MatinThe French regional newspaper reported that there were long queues of people waiting in the rain to get their wristbands for the event. Anticipation for Leo’s arrival was “beyond curiosity”, the newspaper wrote, adding: “residents hope to experience a rare and deeply personal moment of unity with the pontiff”.
Albert invited Leo to Monaco. visited the Vatican In January.
“No one could really understand why he chose Monaco; it is the Vatican’s best kept secret,” Vatican journalist Marco Politi said. “But this is probably a courtesy gesture towards very small European countries. So maybe we can expect him to go to Andorra and Liechtenstein as well.”
Severina Bartonitschek, the Vatican correspondent for Germany’s Catholic news agency KNA, said Monaco was an unusual choice, especially given that his predecessor Francis, known as the “pope of the circles”, tended to focus on marginalized, neglected regions.
“It’s the exact opposite of Monaco,” he added.
But besides ruling the two smallest states in the world, Leo and Albert have a few things in common. “They are both very Catholic, pro-life, and they both love sports,” Bartonitschek said. “Monaco is a small state, but it has an international community and a lot of Catholics. And it can be done in one day.”
Leo’s first trip abroad will be to Türkiye and Lebanon in November, and he will make a 10-day visit to Africa in April.
Shortly after being elected Pope, he received an invitation from US President Donald Trump to the White House, but he has not yet accepted this invitation. “He will eventually leave, but he doesn’t want to give the impression that he is prioritizing his own country, so he will prioritize other countries,” Politi said.
