Posted by Chinenye on Fri 08th May, 2026 - tori.ng
Pope Leo XIV has marked his first anniversary as head of the Catholic Church with a symbolic visit to Pompeii in southern Italy, where he addressed pilgrims at the Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii.
(Pope Leo XIV addresses faithful at the Shrine of the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompei during a pastoral visit in Pompei. Photocredit: Channels TV)
After weeks dominated by a conflict with Washington, Pope Leo XIV said he felt "blessed" as he celebrated one year as the head of the Catholic Church on Friday with a trip to southern Italy.
The first US pope visited a shrine in Pompeii established by a former Satanic priest on the first anniversary of his election on May 8, 2025.
The pope addressed a gathering of believers inside the church, which included about 400 sick and crippled persons, saying, "What a beautiful day, so many blessings."
The pope remarked, "I feel so fortunate to be able to visit the sanctuary on this anniversary."
Thousands of people gathered in a large square in Pompeii cried out, "The pope has arrived!" when the pope arrived aboard a white helicopter.
Salvatore Sica, 68, was one of them; he was from neighboring Naples.
"I would like to visit the new pope. Francis, who was a family member like a father or brother, is not like him, Sica told AFP.
"I think he is apart from the people, even if he preaches peace. However, he is a fine pope.
The more impulsive Francis, the late Argentine pope who passed away on April 21 of last year, stands in stark contrast to the 70-year-old pontiff's methodical and private manner.
The visit takes place one day after Leo met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in an effort to defuse tensions following US President Donald Trump's harsh condemnation of the pope's anti-war stance.
The pope stated that he had a "moral duty" to speak up at the time, and this week he added, "The Church's mission is to preach the Gospel and to preach peace."
Mariella Annunziata, a 52-year-old devout woman in Pompeii, said the pope had addressed Trump's remarks "in an elegant way."
"He resisted provocation," she remarked.
The pope has displayed "the beautiful face of someone who receives an offence but knows that what he is doing is for the good of the Church," according to 24-year-old Franciscan friar Fra Gianluca.
The head of the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide was honored by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was also chastised by Trump for standing up for the pope.
"His voice is a point of reference on a global level — for Christians but not only – in a complex and highly uncertain time," she wrote on X to commemorate the anniversary.
Good Morning Pompeii!
People gathered on balconies above or leaned out of windows to watch Pope Leo as he rode his pope mobile across Pompeii's square.
Before entering the church, Francis said "Good morning, Pompeii!" to the crowds outside while donning a red mozzetta short cape over his white papal robes.
The pope reiterated his opposition to war during an outdoor mass, stating that "we cannot resign ourselves to the images of death that we see on the news every day."
In addition, he prayed for a "renewed commitment" to put an end to all wars and for God to "enlighten all those who bear special responsibilities of governance."
The pope was in the vicinity of the ruins of the old Roman city that had been destroyed by a volcanic explosion, at the sanctuary of the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii.
In his first speech from the Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica balcony, Leo mentioned the sanctuary.
Bartolo Longo, a 19th-century saint who became a Catholic again after serving as a Satanic priest, is buried there.
Additionally, the shrine has a close relationship with Leo XIII, the pope from the 19th century who influenced the current pontiff by standing up for workers. In 1901, the shrine was named a pontifical basilica.
The one-day excursion, which takes place two weeks after a tour of four African countries, is the first of several brief pastoral visits scheduled for Italy this summer.
The pope will go to Naples, the bustling southern Italian city, later on Friday. There, he will welcome the masses in the Piazza del Plebiscito and honor the remains of San Gennaro, the city's patron saint.