Pope Leo urges the citizens of Monaco to use their wealth, the “gift of youth” to do good

Pope Leo XIV urged the citizens of the Mediterranean region of Monaco on Saturday to use their wealth, influence and Catholic faith for good, especially to support the Catholic doctrine of protecting the sanctity of life.

Leo took a one-day trip to the shining spot, becoming the first pope to visit since Pope Paul III arrived in 1538. With a cannon booming in the ceremonial salute, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene met Leo at Monaco airport, just down the coast that is home to the superyachts of the rich and famous.

In the palace, members of the royal family were standing in the courtyard waiting for Leo, women dressed in black dresses with lace on their heads. Charlene wore white – a protocol privilege granted by the Vatican to Catholic royals when they meet the pope, known in diplomatic terms as “le privilège du blanc.”

In his opening address from the palace balcony, Leo urged Monaco to use its wealth, influence and “gift of youth” for good.

It was important, he said, “especially at a time in history when the show of power and the mentality of repression is damaging the world and endangering peace.”

Speaking in French later in the cathedral, Leo urged Catholics in Monaco to spread their faith “so that the life of every man and woman is protected and promoted from conception to natural death,” he said.

Such terms are used by the Vatican to refer to Catholic teaching against abortion and euthanasia.

Monaco is one of the few European countries where Catholicism is the official state religion. Prince Albert recently rejected a proposal to legalize abortion, citing the important role Catholicism plays in Monaco society.

The decision was highly symbolic, as abortion is a constitutional right in France, which covers a coastal area of ​​about one square kilometer.

But by refusing to allow it in Monaco, Albert joined other members of Europe’s Catholic royal family who have taken a similar stance over the years to support Catholic teaching on a continent that has grown increasingly indifferent. When Pope Francis visited Belgium in 2024, he announced that he was putting the late King Baudouin on the path to sainthood because he withdrew for one day in 1990 rather than approve a law legalizing abortion.

A coastal playground for the rich and famous, Monaco is well-known for its tax-free incentives Formula 1 Grand Prix like its flamboyant royal family. The son of the late American actress Grace Kelly, Albert spoke perfect, flawless English when he greeted Leo at the airport. Leo realized that he had arrived three minutes later.

Leo’s one-day visit included a meeting with Monaco’s Catholic community at the cathedral and Mass at the stadium.

Monaco’s population of 38,000 is predominantly Catholic and ethnic, and only one-fifth of the population are actually citizens of the region.

On a sunny spring day, many people flocked to the palace grounds to greet Leo while others lined the streets waving Vatican and Monaco flags as the open-sided pontiff passed by.