In Monaco, the Pope denounces “the chasms between the poor and the rich”
On Monegasque soil on March 28 for an historic apostolic visit, Pope Leo XIV delivered messages on social justice - and more.
Monaco had never experienced anything like it. For the first time in nearly 500 years, a reigning sovereign pontiff set foot in the Principality. On March 28, the eve of Palm Sunday, Pope Leo XIV carried out an unprecedented 9-hour apostolic visit. An historic sequence, initiated after the invitation of Prince Albert II during his audience at the Vatican in January.
“A budget of between 5 and 6 million euros”
Six weeks - that’s how long it took to organise the visit of one of the most protected figures in the world and to orchestrate a massive security operation. Maritime and airspace were sealed off. Nearly 1,600 personnel were mobilised, representing almost all of Monaco’s security forces, reinforced by French units, bomb disposal specialists, and anti-drone teams, in coordination with the Vatican gendarmerie and the Swiss Guards. Up to 2,500 French gendarmes were ready to intervene as a backup plan. In addition, 300 to 400 volunteers were involved, with arrangements inspired by the 2011 princely wedding, the 2025 state visit of President Emmanuel Macron, and the Formula 1 Grand Prix. The Pope’s arrival by helicopter and his movement through the streets in the popemobile took place under tight security. The total security budget is estimated at “between 5 and 6 million euros,” according to the Minister of State, Christophe Mirmand.
A direct message about money
During his four speeches delivered in French, the American pontiff conveyed several key messages. From the balcony of the Prince’s Palace, Leo XIV directly addressed a territory synonymous with prosperity: “Unjust configurations of power (…) create chasms between the poor and the rich, between those privileged and those excluded.” Following in the footsteps of his predecessor Francis on combating inequality, and in the tradition of the Church’s social doctrine established at the end of the 19th century by Leo XIII, he called for a change in how wealth is viewed: “Every talent, every opportunity, every good (…) has a universal purpose, an intrinsic duty not to be hoarded but to be redistributed.”
Directly addressing the people of Monaco and residents of 150 nationalities - many of whom “hold positions of great influence in the economic and financial sectors” - he added: “Living here is for some a privilege and for all a specific call to question one’s place in the world.” The message is clear: wealth entails responsibility. The Pope also entrusted Monaco with a “very special mission”: to become a laboratory for the Church’s social doctrine, capable of producing “best practices” with international reach. “The gift of smallness (…) commits your wealth to serving law and justice, especially at an historical moment when demonstrations of force and the logic of omnipotence wound the world and compromise peace,” Leo XIV insisted. The message was acknowledged by Prince Albert II: “There is an imperative of solidarity on the part of those who have the greatest means.” The question remains how Monaco will fulfill this mission in concrete terms.
Ecology, peace, and protection of life
The message did not stop at economics. On ecology, the Pope spoke of “integral ecology” - a systemic vision linking environment, economy, and social justice. Another message was the reaffirmation of the Catholic Church’s position on bioethical issues - euthanasia and abortion. The Pope praised Monaco’s stance in “always protecting with love every human life, at all times and in all conditions, so that no one is ever excluded from the table of fraternity.” This notably referenced Prince Albert II’s categorical refusal to legalise abortion in the Principality, except in cases of rape, mortal danger to the mother, or fetal malformation. The head of state also recalled Monaco’s tradition of “fidelity to the Pope,” describing it as a land “imbued with Christian values.”
A message beyond Monaco
Finally, Leo XIV placed his speech within a violent and bloodstained global context. “Peace is not simply a balance of forces,” he emphasised during the Mass at Stade Louis II before 15,000 faithful, denouncing “the demonstration of force and the logic of omnipotence,” as well as “the idolatry of power and money.” He had barely departed when the Pope extended this message onto the international stage. Monaco was only one stop. The next day, on Palm Sunday, he sent a message to Donald Trump from St. Peter’s Square. Without naming the American president, the Pope denounced leaders who pray with hands “full of blood”…
By Milena Radoman - Monaco Economie
