Pope Leo XIV. on Saturday, he ended his visit to the Principality of Monaco with a mass at the Louis II Stadium, reported the AP agency, which added that the Pope returned to the Vatican by helicopter.
In his homily, in the context of the approaching Easter, the Pope recalled that the decision of the Jewish Sanhedrin to condemn Jesus to death grew out of fear and political calculation. He emphasized that “God transforms even human injustice into a path of salvation” and that “peace does not arise from the balance of forces, but from purified hearts able to see a brother in another.”
A call for peace
According to the news website Vatican News, the Pope also emphasized that the church is called to protect every human life and witness to the joy of the Gospel in the midst of a world marked by wars and the idolatry of power and money.
In a homily during Mass in the stadium, which was attended by around 15,000 people, the Pope said that today’s conflicts “stained with blood are the result of the worship of power and money”.
“Let’s not get used to the noise of weapons and images of war. Peace is not just a balance of forces, but the work of purified hearts that see others as brothers and sisters, not enemies,” he emphasized.
Life protection support
Lev also addressed the topic of life protection in a speech at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Mother of God, where he called on those present to spread their faith “so that the life of every man and every woman is protected and supported from conception to natural death.” AP added that the Vatican uses such formulations in connection with Catholic teaching rejecting abortion and euthanasia.
Monaco is one of the last few European countries where Catholicism is the state religion. Prince Albert II. he recently rejected a proposal to legalize abortion, citing the important role of the Catholic faith in Monaco society.
A symbolic decision
However, this decision is rather symbolic, as the right to abortion is enshrined in the constitution in neighboring France.
By refusing to legalize abortions, Albert II. included among the European Catholic monarchs who in the past stood up for the preservation of church teachings in an increasingly secularized Europe. When Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, visited Belgium in 2024, he announced the start of the process of beatifying the late King Baudouin, who abdicated for one day in 1990 to avoid having to sign a law legalizing abortion.
Emphasis on environmental initiatives
Known as the luxurious residence of the rich and famous, Monaco is also profiled as an active supporter of environmental protection and initiatives to help Christians in the Middle East. He is a partner of the ALIPH Foundation, which participates in the restoration of churches and other monuments damaged by conflicts.
The government of the principality has long supported projects in Lebanon organized by the French organization L’Œuvre d’Orient, which helps church communities in dozens of countries.
