Pope Leo XIV Visits Monaco, Urges Rejection of Idolatry of Power and Money
One-day trip, the first papal visit since 1538 and the pope's first international trip of 2026, urging Monaco to use wealth and faith against greed and wars.
Straight Arrow NewsPope Leo XIV visits Monaco, calls for rejection of greed and 'idols'
PBS NewsHourPope Leo XIV urges Monaco residents to use wealth for good, reject "idolatry of power and money" fueling wars
Breitbart NewsPope Leo Urges Mega-Rich in Monaco to Use Wealth for Good
ABC NewsPope Leo XIV visits Monaco to urge its people to use their faith and wealth for good
Overview
Pope Leo XIV made a one-day visit to Monaco and urged residents to reject the "idolatry of power and money" that he said fuels wars.
The trip was the first papal visit to Monaco since Pope Paul III in 1538 and was the pope's first international trip of 2026.
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene greeted Leo at the heliport and the royal family received him at the palace as residents lined streets to wave Vatican and Monaco flags, residents said.
Monaco's population is 38,000, only a fifth are citizens, and the principality covers 2.2 square kilometers (about 1 square mile), the articles said.
The visit included a Mass at Louis II Stadium, meetings with Monaco's Catholic community and teens, and the pope presented Prince Albert with a Vatican mosaic of St. Francis of Assisi.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the visit by emphasizing Monaco's wealth and glamour while foregrounding the pope's defense of "sanctity of life." Editorial choices—loaded descriptors ("glitzy enclave," "megayachts"), selective voices, and juxtaposition with abortion and sainthood context—shape the narrative; papal quotes remain source content.
FAQ
Pope Paul III visited Monaco in 1538, making Pope Leo XIV's visit the first papal visit in nearly 500 years.
The visit included arrival by helicopter at the heliport, a welcome by Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene, meetings at the Prince's Palace, a visit to Cathédrale Notre-Dame-Immaculée to meet the Catholic community, encounters with youth and catechumens, and Mass at Stade Louis II.
The helicopter travel from Vatican City to Monaco avoided landing on French soil, sidestepping diplomatic obligations to visit the French president.
Pope Leo XIV urged rejection of the idolatry of power and money, which fuel wars and greed, and emphasized using Monaco's wealth and faith for justice, peace, and the defense of life.
