Vatican City: The Vatican has released the official schedule for Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to the Principality of Monaco on March 28, a one day trip that will last about nine hours and include meetings with the royal family, the Catholic community and young people.
According to the Holy See Press Office, Pope will travel by helicopter from the Vatican at 7 am and arrive at the Monaco heliport at 9 am. The visit will begin with an official welcome before he proceeds to the Prince’s Palace for a ceremony and a meeting with Prince Albert II and his family.
During the visit, Pope Leo XIV will make a courtesy call on the prince and deliver his first public address. Prince Albert II had earlier met Pope at the Vatican on January 17 together with Princess Charlene, and described the upcoming papal visit as a sign of the long standing diplomatic relationship between Monaco and the Holy See.
Pope will then meet the Catholic community at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception at 11 am. During this gathering he will deliver a homily and greet members of the local Church.
Later in the morning he will meet young people and catechumens in the square in front of the Church of Sainte Devote in the La Condamine district. The meeting will include another address from Pope and is expected to focus on faith and the role of young people in the life of the Church.
In the afternoon Pope Leo XIV will preside over a public Mass at Stade Louis II, the main sports complex in Monaco and home stadium of the AS Monaco football club. The Mass will be the final major event of the visit and Pope will deliver the homily.
The farewell ceremony will take place at the Monaco heliport at 5.45 pm, after which Pope will return to Rome by helicopter.
The March visit will be Pope Leo XIV’s first trip to a European country since the beginning of 2026. It is also expected to be his first international journey of the year, ahead of a longer apostolic visit to several African nations in April and another trip to Spain in June.
Church leaders in Monaco say the visit highlights the long historical relationship between the Catholic Church and the Grimaldi family, which has ruled the principality for centuries. Monaco’s constitution recognizes Catholicism as the state religion, and cooperation between Church and civil authorities continues to play an important role in public life.
The Vatican also released the motto and logo for the visit. The motto is taken from the Gospel of John and reads I am the way the truth and the life. The phrase reflects the message of Christ that the Pope seeks to bring during the visit.
The official logo features an image of Pope Leo XIV giving a blessing alongside a stylized tower of the Prince’s Palace. The design combines the colors associated with the Vatican and the national colors of Monaco, symbolizing both the Pope’s pastoral mission and the welcome of the principality.