This Saturday, March 28, 2026, Pope Leo XIV began his second apostolic journey as pontiff and his first of the year, traveling to the Principality of Monaco. According to Vatican News, the Holy Father departed with the explicit desire to “encourage them in their Christian witness and in building the common good.”

The day began early in Vatican City. At 7:05 a.m., the Pope traveled by car to the Vatican heliport and, at 7:22 a.m., took off by helicopter for Monaco. His arrival at the principality’s heliport was scheduled for 9:00 a.m. This one-day trip, lasting approximately nine hours, is notable for its brevity and for being the first formal apostolic visit by a Pope to this enclave in modern times.

Before leaving Italian airspace, Leo XIV sent a telegram to the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, expressing his cordial greetings and wishes for “spiritual, civil, and social progress for the Italian nation.” Later, while flying over France, he sent another message to the French Head of State, conveying “cordial greetings” and “the assurance of my prayers for the peace and prosperity of the nation.”

Upon his arrival, the Pope was officially received by Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene. After a 21-gun salute and the presentation of the delegations in the heliport lobby, he proceeded to the Hall of Honor, while the princes made their way to the Prince’s Palace.

The day’s program, according to the official itinerary released by the Holy See, includes:

– At 9:40 a.m., **courtesy visit to the Prince’s Palace of Monaco**.
– At 11:00 a.m., **meeting with the Catholic community** at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
– Meeting with **young people and catechumens** in front of the Church of Saint Devota.
– At 3:30 p.m., **celebration of Holy Mass** at the Louis II Stadium.
– Official farewell and return to Vatican City at 5:45 p.m.

The local Church has welcomed the visit under the motto taken from the Gospel of John: “I am the way, the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6), with the hope that the presence of the Vicar of Christ will encourage the proclamation of the Gospel in the principality.

Although Monaco is a state where Catholicism is the official religion and has maintained close historical ties with the Holy See since the 13th century, this is the first time a Pope has made an apostolic visit dedicated to the territory. The day’s events focus on meetings with authorities, the Catholic community, and especially young people, in a context marked by material wealth but also by “hidden poverty” such as loneliness and a crisis of meaning, as local Church sources have indicated in the days leading up to the visit.

The Holy See Press Office has been updating the information throughout the morning, highlighting that the trip seeks to strengthen faith in a small but highly symbolic country in the heart of Europe.