Pope Leo calls for courage in Rimini visit after stop in tiny San Marino

Pope Leo XIV embarked on a visit to Italy, beginning with the tiny republic of San Marino on Saturday. Afterward, he journeyed to the Italian seaside resort of Rimini, where he addressed an influential cultural and political event. The pope exhorted attendees to be courageous pioneers in combating inequality and poverty. An open-air mass at the port of Rimini drew 40,000 people, marking the pope's final pastoral visit to the region this summer.

The last papal visit to Rimini was by Pope John Paul II in 1982. Pope Leo XIV spoke at a vast auditorium, cautioning leaders against unjust structures of power that contribute to poverty, inequality, war, and environmental disasters. He urged the presence of "courageous pioneers" to lead the way, warning of the dangers of AI. The pope previously visited San Marino in March and Monaco in March.

On Saturday, he visited the mountain-top Piazza della Liberta in San Marino, where he received a warm welcome from local authorities and a military band. The Rimini Meeting, a prominent event combining religion, culture, and politics, attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors during the annual gathering. The event, historically linked with the Christian Democratic movement, featured speakers such as Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Italy's deputy prime ministers, Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini.

Pope Leo XIV also attended an exhibition dedicated to Saint Augustine and met with disabled and ailing members of the Catholic faith at Rimini cathedral before the beachside mass.