After Turkey and Lebanon, following a trip already envisioned by Francis to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, Pope Leo's plane, or rather, in this case, helicopter, will follow the route that will take him from the Vatican to the Principality of Monaco , the destination, tomorrow, of his second international apostolic journey and the first ever by a Pope to visit Monte Carlo in modern times.

Four speeches, three meetings with the people, including the final great mass, an unprecedented welcoming ceremony by the Prince , 8 hours in total on Monegasque soil, are the numbers of a trip that materialized in a very short time (the invitation from Albert II dates back to last January) and regarding which in the Principality itself (a constitutional monarchy and member of the UN), there is still an air of surprise and wonder at Leo's acceptance.

The defense of life, environmental protection, and the responsible use of wealth will be some of the central themes of a day that will bring together two heads of state who share Catholicism as their state religion and extremely stringent abortion legislation. In the Principality, abortion remains illegal in most cases, and although the National Council approved a legalization proposal in May 2025, Albert II himself blocked the law the following November. Abortion is now permitted only in exceptional cases, such as rape, fetal malformation, or a risk to the mother's life.

"It will be an opportunity to make a first statement to Europe and Europeans," emphasized the director of the Vatican press office, Matteo Bruni, who invited us to view Munich as a "laboratory."

It's certainly striking that the Principality is the richest country in the world, with a per capita income of approximately €250,000. These are intriguing details that raise questions, which Msgr. Luca Favretto, vicar of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, one of the prelates most involved in the visit, does not shy away from. "The Gospel does not rail against wealth but against arrogance," he clarified, "and who knows, perhaps precisely in a place like this, with such great resources and potential, a call to generosity might resonate, which is not just financial or material."

(Unioneonline)

© Riproduzione riservata