Principality of Monaco, Official Welcome, March 28, 2026 – Pope Leo XIV – From the Heliport of the Principality of Monaco
Video of Welcome Ceremony and Courtesy Visit by Pope Leo XIV to His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco at the Prince’s Palace.
Apostolic Journey to the Principality of Monaco: Courtesy Visit to H.S.H. the Prince of Monaco Speech by Leo XIV
2026 | March | 28 Prince’s Palace of Monaco
Your Serene Highness,
Dear brothers and sisters,I am very pleased to spend this day among you and thus to be the first of the Successors of the Apostle Peter in modern times to visit the Principality of Monaco, a City-State marked by the deep bond that unites it to the Church of Rome and to the Catholic faith.
Overlooking the Mediterranean and situated among the founding nations of European unity, your land finds in its very independence a vocation to promote encounter and to foster social friendship. Today, these values are threatened by a widespread climate of isolation and self-sufficiency. The gift of smallness and a living spiritual heritage invite you to put your prosperity at the service of law and justice, especially at a historical moment when the display of power and the logic of oppression are harming the world and jeopardizing peace. As you know, in the Bible it is the little ones who make history! Indeed, authentic spiritualities keep this awareness alive. Even when a sense of powerlessness or inadequacy prevails, we need to trust in God’s providence, for we believe that the Kingdom of God is like a tiny seed that grows into a great tree (cf. Mt 13:31–32). Such faith, however, changes the world only if we do not fail in our historic responsibilities.
Photographs of the Apostolic Journey to the Principality of Monaco: Courtesy Visit to H.S.H. the Prince of Monaco by Leo XIV
Speech of Apostolic Journey to the Principality of Monaco Meeting with the Catholic Community Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV Homily Meeting with the Catholic Community
We have an advocate before God: Jesus Christ, the righteous one (cf. 1 Jn 2:1-2). With these words, the Apostle John helps us to understand the mystery of salvation. In our weakness, weighed down by the burden of sin that marks our human condition, incapable by our own efforts of embracing the fullness of life and happiness, God himself approaches us through his Son Jesus Christ. The Apostle tells us that Jesus, as a sacrificial victim, took upon himself the evil found in humanity and in the world, that he carried it with us and for us, and that he has overcome this evil, transforming it and freeing us forever.
Photographs of Apostolic Journey to the Principality of Monaco Meeting with the Catholic Community
Apostolic Journey to the Principality of Monaco: Meeting with Youth and Catechumens with Leo XIV
2026 | March | 28 In front of the Church of Sainte-Dévote at 11:45 a.m.
Speech by Leo XIV to the Apostolic Journey to Meeting with Youth and Catechumens
Dear brothers and sisters,
Dear young people, dear friends, hello!I am happy to be here with you and cordially greet you all. I would like to thank the Archbishop for the words he addressed to me.
As he emphasized, the Church we are currently in is dedicated to Saint Devota, patron saint of the Principality of Monaco. She was a courageous young woman who knew how to bear witness to her faith in the face of violent persecution, even unto martyrdom. Providentially, her body was brought here from Corsica to what is now the Monegasque coast. They had sought to destroy her body and wipe away every memory of her, yet her sacrifice has carried the Gospel message of peace and of love even further. This helps us to reflect on the fact that good is stronger than evil, even though at times it seems to be losing in the short-term. Furthermore, it reminds us that bearing witness to the faith is a seed that can spread and bear fruit in faraway hearts and places, well beyond our own expectations and capabilities.
In this church, the memory of the Holy Martyr Devota has recently been joined by that of Saint Charles Acutis, another young person in love with Jesus and loyal to his friendship with Christ to the very end, albeit in completely different times and ways: through charity, through his apostolate on the web — of which we venerate him as patron — and finally through his illness.
Photographs of Leo XIV at the Apostolic Journey to Meeting with Youth and Catechumens
Full Video of the Apostolic Journey to the Principality of Monaco: Holy Mass with Pope Leo XIV
Booklet of the Apostolic Journey to the Principality of Monaco: Holy Mass Presided by Pope Leo XIV
Booklet of the Apostolic Journey to the Principality of Monaco: Holy Mass Presided by Pope Leo XIV
Homily of Apostolic Journey to the Principality of Monaco Holy Mass Presided by Pope Leo XIV
2026 | March | 28 Louis II Stadium at 15:30
The joy and the strength of our witness come from redemption, in every place and at every time. Indeed, our own stories are encompassed within Jesus’ story, beginning with the lives of the vulnerable and oppressed. Even today, how many plots are devised around the world to kill the innocent! How many excuses are made to justify their elimination! Yet, despite the persistence of evil, God’s eternal justice always rescues us from our graves, as it did with Lazarus, and gives us new life. The Lord frees us from pain by instilling hope. He converts our hardened hearts by transforming power into service, revealing the true name of his omnipotence: mercy. It is mercy that saves the world. It nurtures every human life in all its frailty, from the moment it grows in the womb until it withers away. As Pope Francis taught us, the culture of mercy rejects the throwaway culture.
Photographs of Leo XIV at the Apostolic Journey to Meeting Holy Mass
OFFICIAL FAREWELL to Pope Leo XIV at Monaco Heliport
The historic visit of Pope Leo XIV to Monaco, marked the first papal trip to the principality since 1538. The visit, part of his second apostolic journey went under the theme “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life,” included a significant public Mass that attracted over 15,000 attendees.
Upon his arrival, the Pope was formally welcomed by Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene, followed by official ceremonies, a private meeting, and a public appearance where both leaders underscored Monaco’s Catholic heritage and shared values such as peace, human dignity, and environmental stewardship. The Pope highlighted Monaco’s role as a small yet influential, cosmopolitan society and encouraged responsible living of the Catholic faith.
Throughout the visit, he engaged with clergy, parishioners, and young people, emphasising the Church’s mission to uphold human dignity and counter secularism. He called on Catholics to promote life, hope, and love, and concluded his visit by inspiring youth and catechumens, drawing inspiration from saints such as Carlo Acutis.
There was a great ceremonial and spiritual significance of the visit, with a focus on themes of faith, community, and moral responsibility.