Pope to visit San Marino, address Catholic gathering in Italy

Pope Leo XIV is set to embark on a brief pastoral visit to the Republic of San Marino this Saturday, followed by his attendance at a significant cultural and political gathering in Rimini, Italy, organized by the influential Catholic group Communion and Liberation.

His morning will be spent in San Marino, the world's oldest republic, a small enclave with a population of 33,000. During his visit, the Pope, who governs Vatican City, the world's smallest country, will meet with local authorities and lead a prayer service in the local basilica. This trip follows similar short pastoral visits he has undertaken this summer within close proximity to the Vatican.

The pontiff will then travel to Rimini, a popular Adriatic seaside city, to participate in the annual "Rimini Meeting." This event, which blends religion, culture, and politics, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Pope Leo XIV will be the first pontiff to address this gathering since Pope John Paul II in 1982. The event has historical ties to the now-defunct Christian Democratic movement, which once dominated Italian politics.

Scheduled to speak at 4:00 PM (1400 GMT), Pope Leo XIV will join a roster of distinguished speakers, including Jerusalem's Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Italy's Deputy Prime Ministers Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini. Before his address, the Pope plans to visit an exhibition dedicated to Saint Augustine and will meet with individuals with disabilities and the sick at Rimini's cathedral, concluding with an open-air mass at the city's port.