Pope’s visit to Monaco: what is the schedule and who can attend the papal mass?
Pope Leo will make his first visit to the principality in late March
Pope Leo is to make the first modern visit of a Pope to Monaco.
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Pope Leo XIV is to make a one-day visit to Monaco, making him the first pope to visit the principality since 1538.
It marks the second foreign visit for the pontiff, who was elected in May 2025 to succeed Pope Francis, becoming the first Pope born in the United States.
Pope Leo is ramping up the number of foreign trips in 2026 after making just one in 2025, to Turkey and Lebanon in November and December.
As well as Monaco, Pope Leo will make his first trip to Africa, travelling to Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon between April 13-23, and will visit Spain between June 6-12, according to the Vatican.
He will be the first Pope to visit Algeria. The visit will hold special meaning for Pope Leo, a member of the Augustinian order, as St Augustine was born in what is now modern-day Algeria in the fifth century.
When is Pope Leo visiting Monaco?
The visit will take place on Saturday March 28 and will last for just over eight hours.
What is Pope Leo’s schedule?
Pope Leo will arrive in Monaco by helicopter at 9:00 on the morning of Saturday, March 28, when he will receive an official welcome.
He will meet with Prince Albert of Monaco in the Prince’s Palace, before travelling by popemobile to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, where he will meet Monaco’s Catholic community at 11:00.
At 11:45 Pope Leo will meet with young people and catechumens in front of the Church of Sainte-Dévote. Catechumens are people, often young people, preparing to be baptised, confirmed or receive their First Communion.
At 15:30, the pontiff will lead a holy mass at Louis II stadium. Entry will be free but prospective attendees will have to register. Details of how to register will be released by the Royal Palace in the next few days, a spokesman confirmed to The Connexion.
Pope Leo will conclude the visit at 17:35 with an official farewell at Monaco Heliport.
Has a Pope visited Monaco before?
The visit is “a major milestone in Monaco’s history” according to a statement by the royal palace on Wednesday.
It noted it marked the first visit to Monaco by a Pope in the modern era. The last was when Pope Paul III was received in 1538.
How Catholic is Monaco?
Estimates suggest some 80-90% of Monaco’s over 38,000 population is Roman Catholic, and the principality has strongly defended Catholic positions, sometimes putting it at odds with its neighbour France.
For example, while abortion has been decriminalised since 2019 – women will not be penalised for having one – it remains illegal for doctors and nurses to perform an abortion in Monaco except under specific circumstances.
In December 2025, the government of Monaco rejected a bill that would have legalised abortion after Prince Albert said it went against the Catholic Church’s teachings.
