It was a scene of centuries-old tradition and modern urgency as Pope Leo XIV, in his first official visit to Italian President Sergio Mattarella, traversed the stately courtyard of Rome’s Quirinal Palace on October 14, 2025. The moment, steeped in ritual and symbolism, carried the weight of pressing social challenges and a vision for Italy and the wider world that echoed—and at times sharpened—the priorities of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
Escorted by the presidential horse honor guard, Pope Leo, wearing the formal red cape and brocaded stole reserved for such historic encounters, was greeted by President Mattarella, age 84, in a gesture underscoring the enduring partnership between Italy and the Holy See. According to Crux, the pontiff began by expressing gratitude for Italy’s role in organizing the city for Pope Francis’s funeral and the subsequent conclave, as well as the ongoing jubilee year—an event that has drawn millions of pilgrims and tourists to Rome, straining but also enriching the Eternal City.
Yet the heart of Pope Leo’s message was anything but ceremonial. In his address, the pope called for renewed care for migrants and the environment, condemned Europe’s declining birth rates, and made a forceful appeal for the strengthening of multilateralism. “Let us listen to their cry,” he said, referencing the innocent victims of war in Ukraine and Gaza. “Every human being is a person, that is, a nature endowed with intelligence and free will, and therefore is the subject of rights and duties that flow immediately and simultaneously from his very nature – rights and duties which are thus universal, inviolable, inalienable.”
The pope’s words, reported by Reuters and Associated Press, were not only a call to conscience but a challenge to action. He urged Italy and the Holy See to collaborate closely “at the service of the human person, whose inviolable dignity must always remain at the forefront of decision-making and action at all levels of social development, especially in defending the most fragile and needy.”
With the centenary of the Lateran Pacts—landmark agreements that established Vatican City as a sovereign state—approaching in 2029, Pope Leo highlighted the importance of mutual respect and cooperation between Italy and the Holy See. The 1984 Concordat, which revised these pacts, was singled out as a framework ensuring both sovereignty and shared responsibility for the common good. “This anniversary is an occasion for both states to respect one another’s sovereignty while also collaborating with one another to promote the common good,” he said, as noted by Crux.
The pope’s remarks touched on the stark realities of today’s world: the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the plight of children affected by conflict and poverty, and the global challenge of migration. He thanked Italy for its efforts to assist children, especially those from Gaza, in partnership with the Vatican’s Bambino Gesu children’s hospital. The gesture, he suggested, was emblematic of the kind of solidarity needed in a fractured world.
Migration, in particular, took center stage. Italy’s geographic position—so close to North Africa—places it at the heart of Europe’s migration debate. Smuggling operations from Libya and Tunisia have made Italy a primary destination for those seeking refuge, while the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a coalition of far-right and conservative parties, has prioritized strict controls, including repatriation and prosecution of alleged smugglers. Pope Leo, however, urged a different path. “I encourage you to keep alive your attitude of openness and solidarity,” he said. “At the same time, I wish to emphasise the importance of constructive integration of newcomers into the values and traditions of Italian society, so that the mutual gift realised in this encounter of peoples may truly enrich and benefit all.”
His stance, echoing that of Pope Francis, was clear: “Migrants and refugees do not only represent a problem to be solved, but are brothers and sisters to be welcomed, respected and loved,” he wrote in his recent encyclical, as cited by Reuters. “In every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community.”
But the pope’s vision extended beyond migration. He lamented the declining birth rate in Europe, calling it a crisis that demanded “a concerted effort to promote choices at all levels in favor of the family – supporting its efforts, promoting its values, and protecting its needs and rights.” Italian tradition, he said, was “naturally filled with the values of love, respect, and dedication for the good of the family and community, which benefits society as a whole.”
Pope Leo also stressed the importance of dignified work, especially for young people. “It is indispensable for families, especially the young, so that they may look to the future with serenity and grow in harmony,” he said, linking economic stability to social cohesion and hope for the future.
On the environmental front, the pope pointed to the upcoming 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi’s death in 2026 as an occasion to renew the commitment to care for creation. “I believe Italy has received, in a special way, the mission of transmitting to the nations a culture that recognizes the earth as a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us,” he said, channeling the spirit of the saint most closely associated with peace and ecology.
Multilateralism, too, was a theme Pope Leo returned to repeatedly. He described it as “an essential value” and urged Italy and the Holy See to “seek and adopt shared solutions” to global challenges. “The complex challenges of our time make it more necessary than ever to seek and adopt shared solutions,” he insisted, warning that ambiguous language and lack of transparency could lead to division rather than unity.
Amid these appeals, the pope also issued a cautionary note about Italy’s cultural roots and Christian values. “Let us not disdain what our forebears lived and handed down to us, often at great cost. Let us not be seduced by homogenizing and fluid models that promote only the appearance of freedom, while in fact rendering people dependent on new forms of control – whether fashions of the moment, commercial strategies, or otherwise,” he warned. Honoring and treasuring longstanding traditions, he argued, was crucial for facing the present and future “with awareness, serenity, responsibility, and perspective.”
Pope Leo closed his speech with a heartfelt encouragement for Italians to rediscover the beauty of their country and to face the challenges ahead with hope. “I encourage all Italians to undertake this beautiful adventure, in order to draw from it hope, and to face with confidence the challenges of the present and the future,” he said, leaving his audience with a sense of shared purpose and possibility.
In a world marked by division, Pope Leo XIV’s message was at once a call to memory and to action—a reminder that the roots of a nation and a faith can offer the strength to build a more compassionate and resilient society.