POMPEII, Italy — Pope Leo XIV marked exactly one year since his election to the papacy by making a spiritual pilgrimage to the ancient Italian city of Pompeii on Friday, where he participated in prayers at a revered Catholic shrine.
The pontiff arrived by helicopter in the city near Naples to observe the May 8 feast of Our Lady of Pompeii, an important religious celebration that began in 1876 when construction started on a shrine honoring the Virgin Mary in the historic location.
The religious sanctuary sits close to the famous archaeological ruins of the city destroyed in 79 A.D. when Mount Vesuvius unleashed devastating volcanic ash and gases across the surrounding area. Unlike the ancient ruins that attract countless tourists annually, the shrine serves as a destination for Catholic faithful who hold special devotion to rosary prayers.
Speaking to crowds of worshippers gathered inside the sanctuary before celebrating Mass, Leo expressed his joy at the occasion. “What a beautiful day, how many blessings the Lord wanted to give to all of us,” he said. “I feel I am the first blessed to be able to come here to the sanctuary of the Madonna on the day of her feast and on this anniversary.”
This journey represents the beginning of several planned excursions throughout Italy that Leo will undertake in coming weeks, allowing him to become more familiar with the Italian Catholic community he leads as Rome’s bishop.
The anniversary date recalls when Cardinal Robert Prevost became the first pope from the United States in church history. During his initial appearance to the world from St. Peter’s Basilica following his election, Leo had specifically mentioned the Pompeii feast day and guided those gathered in the square below in prayers for his new role.
During that memorable evening, he emphasized Mary’s constant presence, saying she “always wants to walk at our side, to remain close to us, to help us with her intercession and her love.”
“Let us pray together for this new mission, for the whole church, for peace in the world, and let us ask Mary, our Mother, for this special grace,” Leo had declared that night.
The Pompeii sanctuary holds deep connections to St. Bartolo Longo, who established the basilica and gained recognition throughout Italy for his charitable efforts supporting orphaned children, incarcerated individuals, and other vulnerable populations. Pope Francis had given final approval for Longo’s sainthood from his hospital bed shortly before his death, and Leo formally canonized him last October.
Leo began his Pompeii visit by spending time with ill and disabled individuals receiving care at a charitable facility connected to the sanctuary, which Pope Leo XIII designated as a pontifical basilica in 1901.
During his opening address, Leo reflected on Longo’s early work in the area, noting that when the saint first came to the Pompeii region, “he found a land plagued by great poverty, inhabited by a few very poor farmers, and ravaged by malaria and bandits.”
“He was able to see, however, the face of Christ in everyone: in the great and the small, and especially in the orphans and the children of prisoners, to whom he made the beating of God’s heart felt through his tenderness,” the pope explained.
Enthusiastic Italian crowds welcomed Leo, with some supporters having waited since midnight to see him. Many attendees expressed approval of his recent diplomatic tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the Iran conflict.
Rita Borriello, a resident of nearby Torre del Greco, praised the pope’s steadfast approach. “He doesn’t let anyone intimidate him. Look at the recent issues with Trump,” she observed. While Trump offered criticism, Leo “simply answered, ‘I preach the Gospel’. I see him as a very humble pope, very close to us, a pope who entered in our hearts.”
