Pompeii prepares to welcome Pope Leo on 1st anniversary of pontificate

By Daniele Piccini and Linda Bordoni

Expressing his joy and gratitude for Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to the city of Pompeii on 8 May 2026, Archbishop Tommaso Caputo said “The Holy Father’s visit to Pompeii to celebrate the first year of his pontificate is a most special gift, one that we wish to welcome with hearts full of gratitude, so that our community may become ever more a sanctuary of light, a school of prayer, and a fortress of peace.”

Speaking to Vatican News just days ahead of the Pope's one-day visit to Naples and nearby Pompeii in Italy's southern Campania region, the Pontifical Delegate for the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii described the “enthusiastic and joyful” anticipation of the faithful. He also revealed the fact that organisers have received “countless requests to participate from all over, many of which unfortunately cannot be accommodated due to limited space.”

Pope Leo XIV’s visit comes eleven years after the last papal pilgrimage to Pompeii by Pope Francis in March 2015. The first Pope to visit the city was Saint John Paul II in 1979, who returned again in 2003. Pope Benedict XVI also visited in 2008 to pray before the Virgin's image.

A historic day for Pompeii

“A Pope’s visit is always a historic moment for a city—an epoch-making event that marks a ‘before’ and an ‘after,’” Archbishop Caputo said.

At the heart of the day will be the celebration of the Eucharist, which Pope Leo XIV will preside over at 10:30 a.m. local time in the square before the Shrine.

Following Mass, the Holy Father will lead the traditional Supplica to Our Lady of Pompeii, the solemn act of entrustment to the Blessed Virgin composed in 1883 by the Shrine’s founder, Saint Bartolo Longo.

Tens of thousands of faithful are expected to welcome the Pope. His visit will begin symbolically with a meeting with representatives of the “Temple of Charity,” who assist the Shrine’s charitable initiatives.

The Pope will then travel by popemobile through the surrounding streets and, before Mass, will meet the sick, persons with disabilities, and the elderly inside the Basilica.

Spiritual and logistical preparations

Archbishop Caputo noted that the city’s foremost preparation for the papal visit is spiritual.

“A visit by the Pope is prepared first of all through prayer,” he said, “and especially in our Marian city through the prayer par excellence—the Holy Rosary.”

Alongside spiritual preparation, extensive logistical arrangements are underway, made possible through the cooperation of numerous civil authorities and volunteers.

“The demanding organizational work is made lighter by the great readiness of institutions—from the Prefecture of Naples to the Campania Region administration, from the Metropolitan City to the Municipality of Pompeii—as well as by the support of volunteers from many associations,” he noted.

A welcoming city with social challenges

Pompeii, Archbishop Caputo explained, is a modern and welcoming city of about 25,000 inhabitants, founded around the Shrine itself.

Each year it welcomes approximately six million visitors, including tourists to the world-renowned archaeological park and more than two million pilgrims to the Shrine.

Yet, like much of southern Italy, the city also faces social challenges.

“There are difficulties caused by precarious and often poorly paid work,” the Archbishop lamented, adding that “many young people struggle to find stable employment and to form families.”

He pointed out that Saint Bartolo Longo understood the importance of work in human and Christian formation, which is why the Shrine’s institutions historically invested in vocational training and continue today to develop initiatives aimed at helping young people enter the workforce.

Growing devotion to St Bartolo Longo

During his visit, Pope Leo XIV will also pray in the Shrine before the chapel of Saint Bartolo Longo, who was canonised on 19 October 2025.

Archbishop Caputo remarked on how devotion to the founder of Pompeii’s Shrine has grown significantly since his canonisation.

“Our founder was already deeply loved by millions of pilgrims who come to the Shrine each year, including many from abroad,” he said, “But canonization has further increased devotion to him among the faithful throughout the world,” noting that Saint Bartolo Longo is now widely venerated in countries such as Poland, across Latin America, and in India.

A witness for the modern world

Asked what Saint Bartolo Longo can say to the contemporary world, Archbishop Caputo pointed to his life of conversion: “He is the example of a convert who in his youth strayed from an authentic life of faith. His life demonstrates that no one is excluded from the love of God.”

“Through his example, pilgrims understand that there is no sin or darkness that can prevent one from returning to the light of day,” he added.

Renewed faith and charity

Archbishop Caputo concluded by expressing his hope that the Pope’s visit would leave a lasting spiritual impact on the community. “The Pope”, he said, “comes to Pompeii to confirm us in faith, to make our hope ever more alive, and to give renewed impetus to our works of charity.”