Pope Leo XIV on Saturday condemned the growing divide between the wealthy and the poor during his visit to Monaco, a city-state renowned for its concentration of millionaires. The trip marks the first western European visit of his papacy, drawing global attention to the tiny principality on the French Riviera.
Arriving by helicopter from Rome, the pope was welcomed at Monte Carlo’s heliport by Monaco’s ruler, Prince Albert II, and his wife, Princess Charlene. Speaking from the balcony of the Prince’s Palace in French, Pope Leo XIV decried what he called the widening “chasms between the poor and the rich” and criticized “unjust configurations of power” and “structures of sin” that create divisions between the privileged and the marginalized.
He further emphasized that wealth should serve “law and justice,” particularly in a world increasingly destabilized by conflict and displays of force. Bells rang across the principality to mark his arrival, while locals gathered outside the palace, waving the red-and-white flags of Monaco alongside the yellow-and-white flags of the Vatican. Along Rue Grimaldi, shopkeepers decorated their windows in both sets of colours to honor the papal visit.
From the palace, the pope was scheduled to visit the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to meet the local Catholic community and the square in front of the Church of Saint Devota, dedicated to Monaco’s patron saint. The highlight of his visit will be an open-air mass at the Louis II Stadium, expected to draw around 15,000 attendees.
According to Vatican press office director, Matteo Bruni, the pope will address environmental protection, Monaco’s role in Europe, and the protection of life in all its forms, which encompasses opposition to abortion and euthanasia, as well as a broader condemnation of war and global conflict.
Though only eight percent of Monaco’s population identifies as practicing Catholics, church events remain one of the few spaces where billionaires, workers, and residents from diverse backgrounds gather. Prince Albert described the visit as “a powerful sign” of Monaco’s importance within the Catholic world, emphasizing shared commitments to international solidarity and the promotion of peace.
Monaco Archbishop, Monsignor Dominique-Marie David, highlighted that the pope’s presence represents outreach to “other cultures, countries, backgrounds, and languages” within the principality, home to over 140 nationalities. Residents like Isabel Fissore, a local jeweler, described the visit as historic, underscoring Monaco’s symbolic role in spreading “peace, light, and love” globally.
