Pope to visit Pompeii, Naples, and Lampedusa on pastoral tour of Italy
By Salvatore Cernuzio and Kielce Gussie
Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to make a number of trips in Italy, including to the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, in 2026. The Prefecture of the Papal Household today announced the calendar of pastoral visits in Italy. The months of May, June, July, and August will be marked with these visits, meetings, and moments of prayer.
One year anniversary – in Pompeii and Naples
May 8 marks the one-year anniversary of Pope Leo’s election to the papacy and it will signal the start of this Italian tour. The Holy Father will begin his visits in Pompeii on this day.
One year prior, the newly elected Pope Leo XIV stepped out onto the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and said, “Today is the day of the Supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii. Our Mother Mary always wants to walk with us, be close, and help us with her intercession and love.”
In 2026, the Pope will spend the day at the Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Holy Rosary of Pompeii. This has been a pilgrimage destination for four Popes and millions of people who come gather for the Supplication to the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii twice a year, in May and November.
St. Bartolo Longo, whom Pope Leo canonized in October 2025, founded the Shrine and wrote the prayer that is used during this Supplication. The Pope will pray this same prayer after presiding over Mass.
He will stay for lunch in the city before heading to Naples in the afternoon. There, two events are scheduled: a meeting with the clergy and religious in the Cathedral and a gathering with the citizens in Plebiscito Square.
A trip long in the making
Just a few weeks later, Pope Leo will travel to Acerra—one of the towns in the “Land of Fires”. This is an area between Naples and Caserta which has been plagued for decades by the illegal disposal of toxic waste and the burning of plastic and industrial materials.
Together with Nola and Marigliano, Acerra makes up what international scientific journals have called the "Triangle of Death," due to the high mortality rate linked to environmental pollution
On May 24, 2020, Pope Francis was planning to visit the town of Acerra to commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the encyclical Laudato si’. However, the COVID pandemic postponed the trip, which in the end did not take place.
On Augustinian soil
After almost a month, Pope Leo will make his next pastoral visit in Italy to the city of Pavia. On June 20, the Holy Father—who has repeatedly described himself as a “son of St. Augustine”—will travel to this city linked to the bishop of Hippo. In 722, St. Augustine’s remains had been transferred to the Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro (Saint Peter in the Golden Heaven), where they remain to this day.
Across the sea…to Lampedusa
On July 4, the Pope will visit an island that held a special place in Pope Francis’ heart after his journey in 2013—the first of his pontificate. In the morning, Pope Leo will travel to the island, which has become a gateway for thousands of migrants from Africa and the Middle East to Italy and Europe.
During his visit, Pope Francis threw a wreath into the seas in honor of all the victims who have lost their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea for a better life. Following in his predecessor’s footsteps, Pope Leo XIV will return to Lampedusa to offer comfort and encouragement to the guests at various hotspots and to those who assist them.
Back to Assisi
After a visit to Assisi to conclude the 81st General Assembly of the Italian Bishops’ Conference last year, the Pope will return to the Italian hillside city on August 6. During the first journey, the Holy Father promised the Franciscans he would come back for the celebrations of the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’ death.
On the calendar for this August visit, Pope Leo is scheduled to meet with young people and preside over Mass at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli.
One final visit
His final visit will be to participate in the 47th edition of the Meeting for Friendship among Peoples in Rimini. Besides meeting with the participants, the Pope will also preside over a Eucharistic celebration with the faithful of the Diocese.
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