Pope Leo XIV will visit the city of Pompeii on 8 May 2026 to mark the first anniversary of his pontificate, coinciding with the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii. Archbishop Tommaso Caputo, Pontifical Delegate for the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary, described the visit as a “most special gift” and expressed hopes that the community would become “a sanctuary of light, a school of prayer, and a fortress of peace.” He told Vatican News that the faithful are awaiting the visit with “enthusiastic and joyful” anticipation, with countless requests to attend coming from across the world.
The papal visit will be the first to Pompeii since Pope Francis in March 2015. Saint John Paul II visited twice, in 1979 and 2003, and Pope Benedict XVI prayed before the Virgin’s image there in 2008. Calling the upcoming event historic, Archbishop Caputo said a Pope’s visit creates a clear “before” and “after” for a city.Pope Leo’s day will center on a Mass at 10:30 a.m. local time in the square before the Shrine. After the Eucharist, he will lead the traditional Supplica to Our Lady of Pompeii, the solemn entrustment prayer composed in 1883 by Saint Bartolo Longo, the Shrine’s founder.
Tens of thousands of pilgrims are expected to attend. The Pope’s schedule begins with a meeting with representatives of the “Temple of Charity,” which supports the Shrine’s charitable works. He will then travel by popemobile through nearby streets and meet with the sick, persons with disabilities, and the elderly inside the Basilica before Mass.Archbishop Caputo emphasized that spiritual preparation comes first, particularly through the Holy Rosary. Logistical planning is also underway with support from the Prefecture of Naples, the Campania Region, the Metropolitan City, the Municipality of Pompeii, and many volunteer associations. Pompeii, a city of about 25,000 residents built around the Shrine, welcomes roughly six million visitors each year, including over two million pilgrims.
The Archbishop noted ongoing social challenges, including precarious work and youth unemployment, and highlighted how Saint Bartolo Longo’s legacy includes vocational training initiatives to help young people enter the workforce.During his visit, Pope Leo XIV will also pray at the chapel of Saint Bartolo Longo, who was canonised on 19 October 2025. Archbishop Caputo said devotion to the saint has grown worldwide since the canonisation, with veneration spreading especially in Poland, Latin America, and India.
He described Bartolo Longo as a witness of conversion, showing that “no one is excluded from the love of God” and that “no sin or darkness” prevents a return to light.The Archbishop hopes the Pope’s presence will confirm the community in faith, strengthen hope, and renew charitable works. “There can only be joy when the Vicar of Christ passes through the streets of humanity,” he said, “because his very presence leads us to look toward Heaven and to seek the true source of our joy: the Lord Jesus, who died and rose for us.”