Pope Leo XIV visits Republic of San Marino

Pope Leo XIV on Saturday arrived in the Republic of San Marino ahead of an address to a cultural and political event at the Italian seaside resort of Rimini.

The pontiff spent the morning in San Marino, a 60-square-kilometre enclave of 33,000 people in the Apennine Mountains, in the latest in a series of brief pastoral visits close to home this summer. During the speech, Pope emphasized freedom and respect for others, human dignity, solidarity and the common good, opposition to violence and social division,  forgiveness and care for vulnerable people.

Leo became the first pontiff taking part in the event since Pope John Paul II in 1982. The "Rimini Meeting" is a prominent event mixing religion, culture and politics that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every summer.