Pope Leo XIV arrived Saturday morning in the Principality, welcomed by Prince Albert II, Princess Charlène and thousands of faithful who had filled the streets of the Rock since the early hours.
By 8am, the Palace Square and the narrow streets of the old town were already alive with anticipation. When Prince Albert and Princess Charlène departed for the heliport to receive their guest, the crowds had swelled to fill every vantage point along the route the Pontiff would later travel.
He touched down by helicopter at 9am, and as soon as he stepped onto Monegasque soil, he was greeted by the Prince and Princess as 21 cannon shots rang out from Fort Antoine.
Then, the official welcome ceremony took place in the Cour d’Honneur of the Princely Palace, where Prince Albert II, Princess Charlène, Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella received the Holy Father.
Military honours were rendered by two sections of carabiniers, a section of firefighters and the carabiniers’ orchestra under Colonel Tony Varo, before the Prince and the Pope reviewed the detachment together.
The two heads of state then met privately in the Family Drawing Room, covering shared priorities including environmental peace and solidarity.
The balcony appearance
Following the private meeting, Prince Albert II and Pope Leo XIV appeared together on the Palace balcony with Princess Charlène, to enthusiastic cheering from the crowd below. The Prince took to the floor first.
“It is for me, for Princess Charlène, for our family and for the whole Monegasque community, an immense honour, a great joy and a profound emotion to welcome you today,” he began.
He traced Monaco’s bond with the Holy See across seven centuries, recalling that it was “by fidelity to the Pope” that the first Grimaldi lords left Genoa to settle on the Rock, a fidelity encoded in the Principality’s motto: Deo Juvante.
He spoke of faith as a living force — “In a time of profound upheaval and spiritual drought, our faith is our strength” — before turning to the question of peace, which he described as “disarmed and disarming,” built on “dialogue, seeking a genuine solution for all.” He closed with a personal pledge: “The history we celebrate today is only a stage on the longer road that we will continue to follow in your footsteps: the road of hope and salvation, in fidelity to Christ.”
The Pope then addressed the crowd, speaking of Monaco’s unique position as a small Mediterranean state and calling on the Principality, at a moment of global closure, to be a place of encounter and friendship.
“In the Bible,” he said, “it is the small ones who make history.” He reminded the audience that wealth and influence are not gifts to be hoarded but to be shared, “so that everyone’s life may be better.”
He also pointed to Monaco’s status as one of the few countries where Catholicism remains the state religion — not a ceremonial privilege, he said, but a mission: to show the world the transformative power of the Church’s social teaching.
He then closed with the ancient greeting: Pax vobis – Peace be with you.
Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella then joined their parents and the Holy Father on the balcony, a moment met with warm applause from the thousands below.
Through the streets and into the Cathedral
The Holy Father departed in his open-topped Popemobile along the rue Remparts toward Monaco Cathedral. Thousands pressed along the barriers, many passing their babies forward for the Pope’s blessing, a gesture he received with warmth, pausing repeatedly along the route.
Inside the Cathedral, the Pope presided over the Liturgy of the Hours, the Office of Sext, the ancient prayer of the sixth hour commemorating the moment Christ was nailed to the Cross, and delivered his homily in French.
As he made his way out toward the Church of Sainte-Dévote, the scenes from earlier were repeated, with crowds lining the streets and the Pope pausing once more to bless families along the way.
He paused at the Chapel of Saint-Dévote to pray before the relics of Monaco’s patron saint, before spending around 20 minutes with catechumens and young people.
He then emerged to greet the faithful gathered outside the church, a final encounter with the crowds before the day moved into its afternoon chapter.
The Pontifical Mass at the Stade Louis II
In the afternoon, Pope Leo XIV arrived at the Stade Louis II in his Popemobile, moving slowly around the pitch to greet the crowds who had packed Monaco’s sports stadium, which had been transformed for the occasion stadium.
The Pontifical Mass followed, celebrated in French on the Saturday of the fifth week of Lent, one day before Palm Sunday, and was presided over by the Holy Father in the presence of Prince Albert II, Princess Charlène, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella.
Following the mass, the Pope met with individuals and families supported by the Principality’s charitable associations, before he was accompanied to the heliport by the Prince and Princess for his departure.
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Main photo credit: Michaël Alesi, Prince’s Palace