Pope Leo XIV left the Vatican for the first time today, to visit the Shrine of Mary, the Mother of Good Counsel, in Genazzano, Italy, on the southern edge of Rome. Here he is in prayer before the icon of the same name. As he returned to the Vatican, also visited the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where he prayed before the icon of the Salus Populi Romani, and also prayed at the tomb of Pope Francis
Above, the new Pope arrives at the Genezzano sanctuary south of Rome this afternoon, sitting in the front passenger seat of a Volkswagen minivan
Pope Leo XIV praying this afternoon at the tomb of his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, at the Basilica of St. Mary Major (@Vatican Media)
Letter #43, 2025, Saturday, May 10: First trip
Two days ago, on Thursday, May 8, the papal conclave ended with white smoke at 6:07 in the evening, and an hour later, Pope Leo XIVstepped on on the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, the first Pope from the United States of America, having been elected on the 4th ballot, receiving, it is being reported in Italy, more than 100 votes.
This afternoon, Pope Leo took his first trip outside of the Vatican…
Pope visits Marian sanctuary outside Rome
Pope Leo XIV today paid a visit to the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano, just outside Rome, saying he “wanted so much to come here in these first days of the new Ministry… that the Church has entrusted to me.”
By Vatican News
For his first trip outside the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV chose to visit the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano, just outside Rome.
Pope Leo visited the shrine, which has been run by the Augustinians since 1200, at around 4 pm for a private visit.
The shrine is home to an ancient image of the Virgin Mary, which comes from Shkodër (Albania) and was much loved by Pope Leo XIII, who never managed to visit it but did elevate it to the dignity of minor basilica in 1903.
Other Popes had visited the Mother of Good Counsel: John XXIII in 1959 and John Paul II in 1993.
Today, however, the visit came from Pope Leo XIV who, as a cardinal, had celebrated Mass at the shrine on the 25 April 2024.
In his homily, the then-Cardinal Prevost expressed his devotion to the Virgin, urging the faithful to be inspired by Mary to spread peace and reconciliation in the world.
A greeting and a prayer
Pope Leo arrived in a Volkswagen multivan, seated in the front; he was greeted by a cheering crowd of hundreds of people gathered in the square or looking out of windows and balconies.
Many shouted “Leo, Leo” and the nearby streets filled up.
Entering the church, where he greeted the Augustinian religious, the Pope stopped to pray, first in front of the altar and then in front of the image of the Virgin.
With those present, he recited John Paul II’s prayer to the Mother of Good Counsel.
‘Whatever He tells you, do it’
At the end, after saying a Hail Mary and singing the Salve Regina, the Pope addressed those who were in the church, greeting them and the people of Genazzano gathered outside: “I wanted so much to come here in these first days of the new Ministry of carrying out the mission of Successor of Peter that the Church has entrusted to me.”
And, recalling the visit he made after his election as Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine, and his choice to “offer his life to the Church,” Leo XIV reiterated his “trust in the Mother of Good Counsel,” recalling the words addressed by Mary to the servants at the Wedding at Cana: “Whatever He tells you, do it.”
The Pope then held a private meeting with the Augustinian community.
***
Pope Leo XIV prays at tomb of late Pope Francis at St. Mary Major
During his first visit outside the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV makes a stop at the Basilica of St. Mary Major to pray to the icon of Mary Salus Populi Romani and at the tomb of the late Pope Francis.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
On the way back to the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV stopped at St. Mary Major, where he paused in prayer before the tomb of Pope Francis and the icon of the Virgin Mary, Salus Populi Romani,” the Holy See Press Office reported on Saturday evening.
The last time Pope Leo XIV had prayed at the tomb of the late Pope was during the late afternoon of the Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday, when then-Cardinal Robert Prevost, with members of the College of Cardinals, went to the papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major to pray at his tomb that had just been open to the public.
Earlier on Saturday, less than 48 hours after he was elected Pope, Pope Leo made his first visit outside the Vatican, travelling to the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano, just outside Rome.
***
This 6-minute video shows the new Pope in Genezzano, speaking in Italian, giving a blessing, and touching the hands of many people who surround his car, link.
At this link, John Prevost, one of the Pope’s two brothers, a retired school principal, speaks about his brother.
This video, released by the Vatican and available on Facebook, shows the moments after he was elected Pope.
At a press conference at the North American College on Friday afternoon, May 9, the day after the election, Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, an old friend of Robert Prevost’s who repeatedly called the new Pope “Bob,” said he expected the Pope would be true to himself.
He said that was the advice conveyed to all the electors by the retired preacher of the papal household, Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, who delivered a meditation in the Sistine Chapel before they took their first vote.
Tobin said he had warned Prevost that he had real chances of winning in the days before the voting began.
Then Tobin recounted the moment when saw it had sunk in for Prevost himself.
Tobin had just cast his ballot before Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment and was walking back to his seat, when he saw Prevost.
“And he had his head in his hands,” Tobin said. “And I was praying for him because I couldn’t imagine what happens to a human being when you’re facing something like that.”
“And then, when he accepted it, it was like he was made for it,” Tobin said.
Facebook Comments