Pope Leo XIV celebrates his first year as pope with events in Pompeii and Naples: 'I feel blessed'
During mass in front of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary, the pope exclaimed, "Today, as in the times of ancient Pompeii, it is necessary to proclaim Christ to a society that is distancing itself from Christian values and is even losing the memory of them."
Pope Leo XIV in Pompeii
Pope Leo XIV declared he felt "blessed" Friday as he completed his first year at the head of the Catholic Church, on a day marked by a massive visit to the Shrine of the Virgin of the Rosary in Pompeii, where thousands of faithful received him with enthusiasm.
During the mass, the pope exclaimed: "Today, as in the times of ancient Pompeii, it is necessary to proclaim Christ to a society that is distancing itself from Christian values and is even losing the memory of them."
The first American pope, who also has Peruvian nationality, arrived in the morning in the region of Campania, famous for the ancient Roman city buried by Mount Vesuvius. There, at the shrine that houses the remains of Bartolo Longo, the 19th-century confessor who went from satanic priest to fervent Catholic and whom Leo XIV himself canonized last October, the pope was visibly moved.
"What a beautiful day, how many blessings the Lord wanted to give to all of us!" he exclaimed to the crowd, which included some 400 sick and disabled people. "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," he added, recalling the strong personal connection he already mentioned in his first speech from the balcony of St. Peter's on May 8 last year, the day of his election.
Giorgia Meloni expresses her support for the pope
After his visit to Pompeii, the bishop of Rome will head to Naples, where he will venerate the relics of St. Jenuarius, patron saint of the city, and greet the faithful in Piazza del Plebiscito.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will expressed her support on X: "I wish to renew to Pope Leo XIV a thought of gratitude for his tireless message of faith, hope, peace, dialogue among peoples, and closeness to the least," she wrote. Meloni added that, "in a complex time marked by great uncertainties, his voice represents a global point of reference, for Christians and not only."
This one-day trip to southern Italy comes on the heels of an African tour in April and precedes the pope's week-long visit to Spain in June.
"Friendly" meeting with Marco Rubio
According to a Department of State release, Thursday's meeting, which lasted about 45 minutes, "underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity."
Rubio and Leo XIV met to "discuss the situation in the Middle East and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere." The dialogue also attested to the "enduring partnership between the United States and the Holy See in advancing religious freedom," the department added.
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