Camille Naredo

Pope Leo XIV waves from his Papamobile after meeting greets youth and catechumens at the Church of Sainte-Devote in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on March 28, 2026. Frederic Dides, AFP

Pope Leo XIV waves from his Papamobile after meeting greets youth and catechumens at the Church of Sainte-Devote in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on March 28, 2026. Pope Leo XIV heads to the Mediterranean principality of Monaco on the French Riviera that is the pontiff's surprise pick for the first western European trip of his papacy. The US-born pope, a former missionary critical of the wealthy elite, will helicopter in for a day in the world's second-smallest state, best known for its casinos, luxury yachts and Michelin-starred dining. (Photo by Frederic DIDES / AFP)

Article (news)

Pope Leo

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1774702815268AFP__20260328__A62B3GH__v1__MidRes__MonacoVaticanReligionPope.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Pope Leo XIV waves from his Papamobile after meeting greets youth and catechumens at the Church of Sainte-Devote in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on March 28, 2026. Frederic Dides, AFP" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Pope Leo XIV waves from his Papamobile after meeting greets youth and catechumens at the Church of Sainte-Devote in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on March 28, 2026. <em>Frederic Dides, AFP</em></span></span></span></div><p>MONACO -- Pope Leo XIV on Saturday denounced the widening gap between the haves and have-nots as he visited Monaco, a millionaires&#x27; playground that is the surprise pick for the first western European trip of his papacy.</p><p>Arriving by helicopter from Rome, the pope was greeted by Monaco&#x27;s ruler Prince Albert II and his wife, Princess Charlene, at Monte Carlo&#x27;s heliport under radiant sunshine.</p><p>Just after his arrival at the tiny principality on the French Riviera, Leo condemned what he termed the widening &quot;chasms between the poor and the rich.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/3/22/pope-leo-calls-wars-in-the-middle-east-and-beyond-a-scandal-for-humanity-2240">READ: Pope Leo calls wars in the Middle East and beyond a &#x27;scandal&#x27; for humanity</a></div><p>In an address in French from the balcony of the Prince&#x27;s Palace, the American pope denounced &quot;unjust configurations of power, structures of sin that dig chasms between poor and rich, between the privileged and the rejected, between friends and enemy.&quot;</p><p>He added wealth should serve &quot;law and justice, especially at a historical moment when displays of force and the logic of omnipotence wound the world and jeopardize peace,&quot; in a clear reference to the growing number of conflicts across the globe.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>- Bells peal -</strong></div><p>Bells pealed across the principality to mark Leo&#x27;s arrival in the microstate nestled on the Mediterranean between France and Italy.</p><p>Locals gathered outside the palace, many brandishing flags in the red and white of the principality and the yellow and white of the Vatican.</p><p>&quot;I&#x27;m trembling - it&#x27;s so emotional, and I&#x27;m so proud,&quot; says Alix Pearce, a 34-year-old sales representative who came with her family.</p><p>Along the route of the Popemobile on Rue Grimaldi, a major thoroughfare, shopkeepers had decked out their windows in the colors of both statelets to mark the occasion.</p><p>From the palace, the pope was to head to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to meet the Catholic community, then to the square in front of the Church of Saint Devota, dedicated to the patron saint of Monaco.</p><p>In the tiny city state&#x27;s streets, billboards showing the pontiff in his church regalia offered a stark contrast to gleaming sports cars and jostling crowds of tourists.</p><p>The highlight will be an open-air mass at the Louis II Stadium, expected to be attended by 15,000 people.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/3/25/pope-calls-for-mideast-ceasefire-0850">READ: Pope calls for Mideast ceasefire</a></div><p>&quot;The pope brings people together,&quot; said Eric Battaglia, a 64-year-old Monegasque artist and musician. &quot;In a world that has been at war for the past few years, it&#x27;s a blessing that there are people like him, trying to ensure that people remain human.&quot;</p><p>Pope Leo was slated to make speeches addressing environmental protection -- which is a cause close to Prince Albert’s heart -- Monaco&#x27;s role in Europe and &quot;the protection of life in all its forms&quot;, according to the Vatican’s press office director, Matteo Bruni.</p><p>That phrase encompasses opposition to abortion, banned in the principality, and euthanasia, but also serves as condemnation of all conflict, at a time of war in the Middle East which is destabilizing the global economy.</p><p>Monaco is one of the few places in Europe where Catholicism remains the state religion, and it has long-standing diplomatic ties with the Holy See.</p><p>Though only around eight percent of citizens identify as practicing Catholics, church pews are one of the few places where billionaires, cleaning ladies and construction workers mingle.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>- &#x27;Powerful sign&#x27; -</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GRCPCfd5aE4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>&quot;This visit is a powerful sign testifying to the Principality’s importance within the Catholic Christian world,&quot; Prince Albert said in an interview with local daily Nice-Matin.</p><p>The prince added he shared with the Vatican common causes including international solidarity and &quot;the promotion of peace through sport.&quot;</p><p>Though some locals professed indifference to the papal visit, Isabel Fissore, the 62-year-old owner of a small jewellery shop, had managed to secure invitations to attend meetings with the pontiff.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s historic: the two smallest states in the world coming together to spread a message of peace, light and love throughout the world. We may be a small nation, yet our hearts are big,&quot; Fissore told AFP.</p><p>Monaco Archbishop, Monsignor Dominique-Marie David, said the pope is reaching out to &quot;other cultures, other countries, other backgrounds and other languages&quot; in the principality, home to some 140 nationalities.</p>

<p>Pope Leo XIV on Saturday denounced the widening gap between the haves and have-nots as he visited Monaco, a millionaires' playground that is the surprise pick for the first western European trip of his papacy.</p>

Pope Leo XIV on Saturday denounced the widening gap between the haves and have-nots as he visited Monaco, a millionaires' playground that is the surprise pick for the first western European trip of his papacy.

Pope denounces widening gap between the rich and poor on Monaco visit

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Pope denounces widening gap between the rich and poor on Monaco visit

Agence France-Presse

Published March 28, 2026 09:20 PM PHT

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Pope Leo

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