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POMPEII, Italy — On Friday, Pope Leo XIV called for an end to “fratricidal hatred” around the globe as he marked the anniversary of his election in the historic city of Pompeii. The occasion coincided with a feast day of personal significance to him, which also marked the beginning of his papacy last year.
Pope Leo made the journey to Pompeii by helicopter from nearby Naples for a full-day visit to celebrate the May 8 feast of Our Lady of Pompeii. This date is significant as it marks the laying of the cornerstone of the shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Pompeii back in 1876.
The shrine is situated near the famous archaeological digs of Pompeii, the city that was buried under volcanic ash and gas in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. While millions of tourists flock to the Pompeii ruins every year, the shrine draws Catholic pilgrims, especially those devoted to the practice of praying the rosary.
Addressing the gathered faithful inside the sanctuary before Mass, Leo expressed his joy, saying, “What a beautiful day, how many blessings the Lord wanted to give to all of us. 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 visit marks the beginning of a series of short trips Pope Leo plans to undertake across Italy in the coming weeks, as he seeks to become more familiar with the Italian church of which he serves as the symbolic head in his role as the bishop of Rome.
A prayer for leaders to be enlightened to pursue peace
In his homily at the sanctuary, Leo entrusted his pontificate to the Virgin Mary and prayed for peace.
“We cannot resign ourselves to the images of death that the news presents to us every day,” Leo said. “May the God of peace pour out an overflowing abundance of mercy, touching hearts, soothing grudges and fratricidal hatred, and enlightening those who bear special responsibilities of governance.”
Friday marked the anniversary of the election of the former Robert Prevost as history’s first U.S.-born pope. Leo had referred to the Pompeii feast day on the night of his election, when he emerged on the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica and was introduced to the world. That night, he led the faithful in the piazza below in a prayer for his pontificate.
He said then that Mary, the mother of Christ, “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 said then.
The Pompeii sanctuary is closely associated with the figure of St. Bartolo Longo, who founded the basilica and is venerated especially in Italy for his charitable works for orphans, prisoners and other marginalized people. Pope Francis had approved the miracle necessary for Longo’s canonization from his hospital room, just a few weeks before he died, and Leo made him a saint in October.
Pompeii welcomes Leo
Leo opened his visit to Pompeii by meeting with sick and disabled people who are cared for by a charity center affiliated with the sanctuary, which Leo’s namesake, Pope Leo XIII, declared a pontifical basilica in 1901.
In his opening remarks, Leo recalled that when Longo arrived in the Pompeii valley, “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,” he said.
Leo was met by throngs of cheering Italians, some of whom had been waiting since the middle of the night to greet him. They seemed keenly aware of Leo’s recent sparring with U.S. President Donald Trump over the Iran war, and said they liked what they saw.
“He doesn’t let anyone intimidate him. Look at the recent issues with Trump,” said Rita Borriello, from nearby Torre del Greco. Trump criticized him, but 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.”
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