On Saturday, January 17, 2026, Prince Albert II of Monaco paid an official visit to the Vatican, where he was received in private audience by Pope Leo XIV in the private library of the Apostolic Palace.
The meeting marked the first formal encounter between the Monegasque sovereign and the pontiff, who was elected in May 2025 as the first American-born pope in history. Born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, Pope Leo XIV - formerly a cardinal and Augustinian friar - succeeded Pope Francis following the latter's death.
The two leaders exchanged views on the respect for life, the family, and human dignity, as well as on issues related to peace and environmental protection. The exchange highlighted a convergence of perspectives between the Holy See and the Principality of Monaco on these matters.
Prince Albert extended an official invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit the Principality of Monaco.
The prince presented the pope with a special edition of St. Augustine's Confessions, an volume that once belonged to the French Romantic poet Alfred de Vigny and bears his handwritten annotations. In return, Pope Leo XIV gave Prince Albert a bas-relief inspired by the icon attributed to St. Luke, depicting Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
Following the private audience, Prince Albert was welcomed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's Secretary of State, and participated in a working meeting at the Secretariat of State with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations. The discussions focused on bilateral relations between the Holy See and Monaco, with both sides underscoring the excellence of those ties.
Prince Albert was accompanied by Lionel Beffre, Government Counselor and Minister of the Interior, and Philippe Orengo, Monaco's Ambassador to the Holy See. The Vatican delegation also included Msgr. Simon Kassas, responsible for French-speaking states.
This visit continues the longstanding historical relations and ongoing dialogue between the Principality of Monaco and the Holy See. Catholicism remains the state religion in Monaco, a small sovereign city-state on the French Riviera, and the Catholic Church plays a significant role in its social life.
Photo credits: Vatican Média