Leo XIV in Monaco

"The joy and the strength of our witness come from redemption, in every place and at every time," he said. 

During his nine-hour visit to Monaco, the second international trip of his pontificate and the first time a pope has set foot in the principality since the 16th century, Leo made the case for Catholic social teaching.

The microstate, which the pope will visit March 28, offers a rare example of religion exerting a visible influence in Western civic society today.

Nearly a year into a pontificate largely anchored in Rome, Pope Leo XIV is preparing to launch a sweeping series of international trips that will carry him across Africa, to Spain and to the tiny principality of Monaco. 

Pope Leo XIV, the head of the world's smallest state, may make a brief visit to Monaco, the world's second-smallest state, this year, the Vatican confirmed.