OFFICIAL VISIT
of the Holy Father
LEO XIV
to the President of the Italian Republic,
the Honourable SERGIO MATTARELLA

Quirinal Palace, Tuesday 14 October 2025

OFFICIAL DELEGATION

HOLY FATHER LEO XIV

Cardinal Pietro Parolin,
Secretary of State of His Holiness;

Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi,
Archbishop of Bologna, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference;

Cardinal Baldassare Reina,
Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome;

Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra,
Substitute for General Affairs

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher,
Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations;

Archbishop Luciano Russo,
Secretary for the Pontifical Representations;

Archbishop Petar Rajič,
Apostolic Nuncio in Italy;

Sr. Raffaella Petrini,
President of the Governorate of Vatican City State;

Msgr. Leonardo Sapienza,
Regent of the Papal Household;

Msgr. Javier Domingo Fernández González,
Head of Protocol of the Secretariat of State;

Msgr. Massimiliano Matteo Boiardi,
Official of the Secretariat of State;

The Reverend Edgard Rimaycuna,
Special Secretary of the Holy Father;

Comm. Pier Giorgio Zanetti,
Chamberlain of the Holy Father.

PROGRAMME

10.20

The Holy Father will leave the Apostolic Palace and depart by car from the San Damaso Courtyard, followed by members of the official Delegation

The Papal procession will reach the border with the Italian State in Piazza Pio XII, where the Holy Father will receive the homage of the Extraordinary Mission of the Italian Government:

1. The Hon. Antonio Tajana, Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

2. Dr. Alfredo Mantovani, Undersecretary of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers

3. His Excellency Mr. Francesco Di Nitto, Ambassador of Italy to the Holy See

4. Dr. Carlo Deodato, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers

5. His Excellency Mr. Riccardo Guariglia, Secretary General of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

A formation unit, with flag and band, will pay honours.

The Holy Father will descend from the car and take his place on the carpet; the Members of the Delegation will remain in the vehicles.

From Piazza Pio XII to Piazza Venezia, the Papal procession is escorted by Corazzieri on motorcycles; from Via Cesare Battisti to Palazzo del Quirinale, it will be escorted by Corazzieri on horseback.

11.00

The Papal procession will enter the Quirinal Palace in the Courtyard of Honour.

The Holy Father will be received by the President of the Republic and together they will take their place on the carpet for the Honours.

The Members of the official Delegation will take their places as indicated.

Performance of the national Pontifical and Italian anthems.

At the end of the anthems, the Holy Father and the President will proceed to the Sala del Bronzino. Official photograph in front of the flags, and presentation of the respective entourages.

The Holy Father and the President of the Republic will proceed to the Studio alla Vetrata for the private meeting.

In the meantime, the Vatican and Italian Delegations will proceed to the Sala del Druso for the parallel discussion.

At the end of the private meeting, the Holy Father and the President will proceed to the Sala degli Arazzi di Lille for the exchange of gifts.

The Holy Father will give the President a mosaic depicting the Colosseum, produced by the Vatican Mosaic Studio, and a signed copy with a dedication of the Apostolic Exhortation “Dilexi te”.

The President will give an etching from the second half of the seventeenth century, reproducing the sculpture by Alessandro Algardi (1598-1654) for the altar of Saint Leo the Great in Saint Peter's Basilica; and a biography of Saint Rose of Lima, dated 1827.

Transfer to the Sala del Bronzino, where the President will present his Advisors to the Holy Father.

This will be followed by a brief pause in the Chapel of the Annunciation, where Monsignor Sergio Siddi, Chaplain of the Quirinale, and Don Santiago Alonso, Chaplain of the Castelporziano Estate, will be waiting.

The Holy Father and the President will proceed to the Hall of Mirrors, where the following will be waiting:

1. Senator Ignazio La Russa, President of the Senate

2. The Honourable Lorenzo Fontana, President of the Chamber of Deputies

3. The Honourable Giorgia Meloni, President of the Council of Ministers

4. Professor Giovanni Amoroso, President of the Constitutional Court

with their respective Secretaries-General

Salone delle Feste: Address of the President of the Republic

- Address of the Holy Father

At the end, passing through the Hall of the Corazzieri, the Holy Father and the President of the Republic will visit the Pauline Chapel; then, they will cross the Passage of the Oratory of Paul V, and proceed to the balcony where they will pause briefly.

The Holy Father and the President will proceed to the Vetrata for the Honours and farewell.

The Papal procession will leave the Quirinal Palace.

In Piazza Pio XII the Italian Delegation, which welcomed the Holy Father on departure, will take their leave, while a formation unit will pay honours.

At the end, the Holy Father will return to the Vatican via the Arch of the Bells.