Pope Leo XIV visited Monaco, a haven for billionaires with their luxury yachts on the French Riviera, and called on its residents to share their wealth and assist those in need.
“In the eyes of God, nothing is given in vain!” the Pope said to Monaco’s royal family and prominent figures of the principality.
“Every good that is in our hands… carries an inherent need not to be hidden, but to be shared, so that the life of each person may be improved,” he added.
Leo is the first pope in nearly five centuries to visit the luxurious Mediterranean principality.
He arrived by helicopter from the Vatican, on a 90-minute flight, and first met with Prince Albert.
The Pope reiterated his message that the wealthy should help the less fortunate, presenting Albert with a colorful work of art created by the Vatican’s mosaic workshop.
The artwork depicted Saint Francis of Assisi, the son of a wealthy Italian merchant in the 13th century, who renounced his family’s wealth to help the poor.
In his address at Albert’s official residence—a 12th-century palace overlooking the Mediterranean—the Pope urged Monaco’s residents to “place their prosperity at the service of law and justice.”
Leo, the first American pope, was elected in May to succeed the late Pope Francis and to lead 1.4 billion Catholics. His visit to Monaco is only his second trip outside Italy, but it marks the beginning of a year expected to include many international journeys.
The 70-year-old Pope is relatively young and in good health for the office. In April, he will embark on an ambitious tour of four African countries, followed by a week-long visit to Spain in June.
