Pope Leo visits Monaco and urges wealthy residents to share wealth

Pope Leo made a day trip to Monaco, urged residents to share their prosperity with those in need, and met Prince Albert during the visit.

Pope Leo made a day trip to Monaco on Saturday and urged residents to share their wealth with those in need. Monaco is a tax-free microstate on the French Riviera known for its high concentration of billionaires and luxury yachts. The Vatican said the visit aimed to show that small countries can make an outsized impact, and Leo met Prince Albert after arriving by a 90-minute helicopter ride from the Vatican. Key details: - He told crowds that goods placed in people's hands have an intrinsic need to be shared so that everyone's life may be better. - He is the first pope in nearly five centuries to visit Monaco, according to the report. - He presented Prince Albert with a mosaic image of St. Francis of Assisi created by the Vatican's studio. - Crowds were relatively thin during his tour and few lined the streets as he rode in an open-air popemobile. - In a meeting with local Catholics he praised Albert's 2025 veto of a bill to legalize abortion and urged Catholics to speak up "in defence of the human person". Summary: The visit highlighted Leo's call for the prosperous to put their resources at the service of law and justice and his appeal for Catholics to defend human dignity. He is due to travel to four African countries in April and to Spain in June.