Pope Leo XIV marks first anniversary of papacy with pilgrimage to Pompei and Naples

Events-Festivals, International

POMPEI, Italy (NPA) — Pope Leo XIV commemorated the first anniversary of his election to the papacy with a pastoral visit to southern Italy, placing his pontificate under the protection of the Virgin Mary during celebrations in Pompei and Naples.

In Pompei, the Holy Father celebrated Mass before an estimated 20,000 faithful gathered outside the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary. The date coincided with the feast of the Supplication to the Virgin, a devotion closely tied to the shrine and to St. Bartolo Longo, canonized as the “apostle of the rosary.” In his homily, Pope Leo reflected on the significance of the rosary, calling the repeated Hail Mary “an act of love” and “an invitation to joy.” He urged believers to see the prayer as a source of mercy and peace in a world scarred by war and division.

Before the Mass, the pope visited the shrine and greeted the sick and people with disabilities. He also met members of the “Temple of Charity,” a local organization assisting those in hardship, underscoring the Church’s mission of compassion.

Later in the day, Pope Leo traveled by helicopter to Naples, where he visited the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary. There, he prayed before the relic of St. Januarius, blessing the faithful gathered in the packed chapel. Addressing priests, religious, and laypeople, he called for a shift from “pastoral maintenance” to “missionary pastoral ministry,” urging the Church to engage directly with the realities of inequality, youth unemployment, and fragile family life.

At Piazza del Plebiscito, where authorities estimated 50,000 people were present, the pope delivered a message centered on peace and justice. He described peace as beginning in the human heart and expanding outward to neighborhoods, cities, and nations. He also highlighted the “Neapolitan paradox” — a city experiencing booming tourism yet struggling with deep social divides and organized crime.

Pope Leo encouraged collaboration among institutions, the Church, and civil society to protect children, confront hardship, and restore Naples’ vocation as a “capital of humanity and hope.”