Pope Leo XIV stopped at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major to pray at the tomb of Pope Francis and, later, before the image of Our Lady, Salus Populi Romani. He then continued on to Castel Gandolfo, according to the Holy See Press Office.

On Monday morning, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica for the repose of the soul of the late Pope Francis and the cardinals and bishops who died during the year: “With great affection, we offer it for the chosen soul of Pope Francis, who died after opening the Holy Door and imparting the Easter blessing to Rome and the world. Thanks to the Jubilee, this celebration—the first for me—takes on a distinctive flavor: the flavor of Christian hope,” Leo XIV recalled in his homily .

“Dear brothers, the beloved Pope Francis and the brother cardinals and bishops for whom we offer the Eucharistic sacrifice today have lived, witnessed to, and taught this new Paschal hope,” Pope Leo XIV also expressed in his homily today. He further affirmed that “the Lord has called them and appointed them shepherds of his Church, and through their ministry they—to use the language of the Book of Daniel—have ‘led many to righteousness’ (cf. Dn 12:3), that is, they have guided them along the path of the Gospel with the wisdom that comes from Christ, which has become for us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (cf. 1 Cor 1:30).”

This is the fourth visit to the Marian basilica in Rome made by Pope Leo XIV, entrusting to Mary Salus Populi Romani, the Church and all the faithful.