Pope Leo XIV makes an apostolic trip to Monaco. Pope Leo XIV arrived in the Principality of Monaco on Saturday, marking his first trip to Europe in a historic visit of just nine hours, which is his second international trip. The pontiff arrived by helicopter and was received by Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco, amidst salutes and bell ringing in this small state where Catholicism is the official religion. During his short stay, Leo XIV fulfilled a busy agenda that included four main acts: a meeting with the princely family at the Palace, a speech to the authorities, a meeting with the Catholic community at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, and an encounter with young people, in addition to the closing Mass at the Louis II Stadium. This visit is historic, as no pope had been to Monaco since the 16th century, when Paul III passed through the territory in 1538. In his speech from the Palace balcony, Leo XIV issued a forceful message about the global context, warning that "the ostentation of force and the logic of wrongdoing harm the world and threaten peace." The pontiff warned of an international climate marked by closed-mindedness and self-sufficiency, and called for wealth and power to be used responsibly, emphasizing that goods "must not be held onto, but rather redistributed." This message is particularly relevant in Monaco, considered one of the countries with the highest concentration of wealth in the world, where a significant part of its population has high economic assets. In turn, Prince Albert II highlighted the principality's "Catholic anchor" of more than 700 years and stressed the coincidence with the Vatican in the search for peace. "The world is living in times when force seems to prevail, but peace is only lasting if it is based on justice and reconciliation," stated the monarch, who also highlighted the role of small states in international diplomacy.
