Pope Leo’s message to the rich in his first foreign trip of the year | CNN

The leaders of the world’s two smallest states came together on Saturday, as Pope Leo XIV made history with the first papal visit to Monaco in modern times and called on its residents to share their wealth with those in need. Leo traveled to Monaco from the Vatican by helicopter and was welcomed by Prince Albert and Princess Charlene and began his visit with a private meeting at the prince’s palace. A crowd waving Monaco and Vatican flags and children wearing yellow hats waited for him. The pontiff’s visit to the principality has raised questions about why he chose a place known for its wealth and reputation as a playground for the super-rich for his first foreign trip of 2026, and his first in Europe outside Italy. But the ties between the papacy and Monaco run deep with Catholicism the state religion in the principality, and the Vatican sees diplomatic mileage in working closely with another small state. There is also a personal dimension: the first US-born pope and Prince Albert share American connections given Prince Albert of Monaco’s mother, the Hollywood actress Grace Kelly, married Prince Rainier III in 1956. Leo urged Monaco’s wealthy residents “to put your pro