Pope Leo XIV visited the Principality of Monaco on Saturday, urging the wealthy residents of this tax haven to “put your prosperity at the service of law and justice.” During his visit, the pontiff decried the deepening divide between the rich and poor, emphasizing the need to channel wealth toward establishing justice and peace amid global conflicts.

Monaco is the second-smallest country in the world after Vatican City, and Pope Leo encouraged it to use its “gift of smallness” for good. This marked the first papal visit since Pope Paul II’s trip in 1538. The Pope traveled from Rome in about 90 minutes and was greeted at the Monaco heliport by Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene, noting a three-minute delay upon arrival.

At the palace, the Pope gifted Albert an artwork created by the Vatican’s mosaic studio depicting St. Francis of Assisi, who was canonized for renouncing his wealth to help the poor. The Pope’s itinerary also included a visit to the microstate’s only cathedral and a mass at a nearby sports stadium.

In a French-language address from the balcony of the royal palace, Pope Leo denounced “unjust configurations of power, structures of sin that dig chasms between poor and rich, between the privileged and the rejected, between friends and enemy.” He called for wealth to be used for law and justice, “especially at a historical moment when displays of force and the logic of omnipotence wound the world and jeopardize peace.”

Monaco remains one of the few European countries where Catholicism is the official state religion, and Albert has sought to uphold Catholic doctrine on an increasingly secular continent. Last year, the prince blocked a bill to legalize abortion, citing the role of Catholicism in society—a largely symbolic move since abortion is a constitutional right in France. Albert used the Pope’s visit to emphasize the principality’s Catholic faith.

Source: www.dw.com