Throughout his first year as pontiff, Pope Leo XIV has made a firm stance to advocate for peace, one that he set in his first public address and has consistently championed in speeches and public interventions. To mark the first anniversary of his election today, he makes a pastoral visit to Pompeii and Naples in Rome.
The one-day visit will begin at the Shrine of Pompeii, where the Pope will meet members of a local charitable organisation and vulnerable people supported by the ministry. He will also preside over a solemn Mass featuring the traditional Supplication to the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii, a devotion he has said has been meaningful since the start of his pontificate.
Speaking ahead of the celebration, Pope Leo XIV said,
“today is the day of the supplication to the Virgin of Pompeii. Our Mother Mary always wants to walk with us, to be close to us, to help us with her intercession and her love. I would like, then, to pray together with you.”
After Pompeii, the Pope will travel to Naples, where he will meet clergy and religious leaders at the city’s cathedral before attending a public gathering at Piazza del Plebiscito, the largest public square in Naples. The event is expected to conclude with an act of entrustment to the Blessed Virgin Mary together with civil and ecclesiastical authorities.
Born in Chicago and a member of the Augustinian order, Pope Leo XIV previously served as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis and spent many years as a missionary in Peru.
On May 8, 2025, at 7.07pm East African Time, white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel to indicate the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope in the history of the Catholic Church.
Pope Leo had been elected on the fourth ballot during the second day of the conclave with 108 votes out of 133. Before the successful vote, black smoke had appeared twice, first on the evening of May 7 and again on the morning of May 8 to show that no candidate had yet secured the required majority.
Within an hour, Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti delivered the traditional Habemus Papam (translated to We have a Pope) announcement from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, introducing Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV.
“Peace be with you all!” were Pope Leo’s first words as Pope.
He delivered his first Urbi et Orbi blessing and shared a message centred on peace and charity to those who suffer.
During his first year as pontiff, peace has been a defining and consistent message of his papacy, from his first public address and through his speeches, interviews, homilies, and global appeals.
During his Palm Sunday homily in St Peter’s Square on March 29, he made a powerful declaration that God rejects the prayers of those who wage war.
“Jesus is the King of Peace, who rejects war and whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war but rejects them,” he stated before referring to Jesus as King of Peace throughout the homily.
The British of Rome have met with world leaders to discuss mediation and dialogue to end global conflicts and spoke up for Iran, Ukraine, Sudan, and Lebanon. In his first Easter message on April 5, he appealed to world leaders to choose peace and lay down weapons. He continued with the same message on April 11, when he held a prayer vigil for peace in St Peter’s Basilica to urge world leaders to mediate.
During his 11-day trip in Africa in April, where he visited Angola, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Algeria, he made calls for peace and social justice.
Besides repeated calls for peace, he has also championed pastoral outreach and emphasis on a synodal Church committed to compassion and solidarity.