PM Invites Pope Leo XIV to Visit Australia in Private Meeting
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- 8 hours ago
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has met with Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican City, marking the first private audience between an Australian leader and a pope in 16 years.
The meeting took place on Monday, with the Swiss Guard giving Albanese a formal welcome before he was escorted into the Apostolic Palace—the pope’s private residence.
During their time together, the pope offered a touching gesture by blessing the rosary beads that belonged to Albanese’s late mother, who was a devout Catholic. In return, the prime minister presented a piece of Indigenous art as a gift to the pontiff.
Albanese took the opportunity to congratulate Pope Leo on his recent election, and he praised the Vatican’s efforts to promote dialogue and peace around the world. He also formally invited the pope to visit Sydney in 2028 for the World Eucharistic Congress, a major global Catholic event.
Pope Leo XIV isn’t a stranger to Australia—he’s visited several times before as the head of the Augustinian order, and Catholic leaders in Australia are hopeful he’ll return in his new role as pope.
The meeting with Albanese was just one part of a big couple of days for the new pope, who’s been busy welcoming world leaders ahead of his first mass. Among others, he also met with US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of his early diplomatic outreach.
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