Pope Leo XIV Visits Pompeii Shrine on First Anniversary of His Election

Pope Leo XIV spent the first anniversary of his election on May 8, 2026, praying in the ancient city of Pompeii near Naples. The pontiff traveled by helicopter to the site on Friday to mark the May 8 feast of Our Lady of Pompeii, the same date in 1876 when the cornerstone for the shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary was laid.

79 when Mount Vesuvius erupted and spewed volcanic ash and gas across the region. While the Pompeii archaeological site draws millions of tourists each year, the sanctuary attracts Catholic pilgrims who are particularly devoted to praying the rosary. The Pompeii sanctuary is closely associated with St.

Bartolo Longo, who founded the basilica. Pope Leo XIV opened his visit by meeting with sick and disabled people cared for by a charity center affiliated with the sanctuary. He then addressed throngs of faithful inside the sanctuary before Mass.

“What a beautiful day, how many blessings the Lord wanted to give to all of us,” Pope Leo XIV told the crowd. -born pope. On the night of his election, Pope Leo XIV emerged on the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica and led the faithful in the piazza below in a prayer for his pontificate.

Pope Leo XIV recalled on May 8, 2026, that when St. ” Pope Francis approved the miracle necessary for St. Bartolo Longo’s canonization from his hospital room a few weeks before he died. Pope Leo XIV made St.

Bartolo Longo a saint in October. Pope Leo XIII declared the Pompeii sanctuary a pontifical basilica in 1901. Leo was met by throngs of cheering Italians in Pompeii on May 8, 2026, some of whom had been waiting since the middle of the night.

The visit kicked off a series of day trips he will make over the next few weeks up and down the Italian peninsula. Rita Borriello, from nearby Torre del Greco, was among those who greeted him. “He doesn’t let anyone intimidate him.

Look at the recent issues with Trump,” she said. Borriello added that after President Donald Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV, the pope “simply answered, ‘I preach the Gospel’. ” @NBCNews reported that Pope Leo XIV had recent sparring with President Donald Trump over the Iran war.