At 9.45, Pope Leo XIV travelled by car to the Sanctuary of Pompeii where he met with people with illnesses and disabilities, who went on to follow the Holy Mass on screen.

At the entrance of the Sanctuary, the Holy Father was welcomed by the rector, Msgr. Pasquale Mocerino, who brought him the crucifix to venerate and the water for aspersion.

The following are the Pope’s greetings to those present during the meeting:

Greeting of the Holy Father to the faithful gathered in the Square before entering the Sanctuary

Greeting of the Holy Father to the sick and people with disabilities in the Sanctuary

Greeting of the Holy Father to the faithful

Thank you, thank you! Good morning to you all! Good morning Pompeii!

Thank you for your presence. Soon we will prepare to celebrate Holy Mass, this beautiful encounter with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist: Jesus who always walks with us, close to us. And here in this Sanctuary we know well that the Mother is always with us, our Mother Mary accompanies us with her intercession, her love; she is always with her children.

With this confidence we will pray together and we will celebrate the joy of being baptized disciples of Jesus Christ, all called to be Christ’s presence in the world.

Thank you, thank you. We will see each other shortly.

Greeting of the Holy Father to the sick and people with disabilities

Good morning to you all! Praised be Jesus Christ.

What a beautiful day! How many blessings the Lord has bestowed upon us all today! I feel truly blessed to be able to come here to the Shrine of Our Lady on the Day of Supplication, on this anniversary. Thank you all for being here!

We are now preparing to celebrate Holy Mass. You can follow it from here, on the screens. We are all united in Jesus Christ, with our Mother Mary, in this wonderful blessing, on this wonderful day. Jesus draws us close to him again today; Jesus who is always with us, who walks with us. May God bless you all!

May the blessing of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain with you always. Amen.