Pope Leo XIV arrives in San Marino to mark 100 years of diplomatic relations before Rimini mass

Arrival in San Marino

Pope Leo XIV arrived by helicopter in the Republic of San Marino on Saturday morning, welcomed by Captains Regent Alice Mina and Vladimiro Selva. The visit marks the centenary of bilateral diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the enclave, which spans 61.2 square kilometres in northeastern Italy. A senior Vatican delegation accompanied the Pontiff, including Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Substitute Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, and Secretary for Relations with States Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher. During the stop, the Pope will address the public from the central balcony of Palazzo Pubblico above Piazza della Liberta. The balcony appearance is the first by a Pope and the first by any visiting head of state in recent decades, an act traditionally reserved exclusively for the Captains Regent.

Diplomatic ties and papal message

Italian President Sergio Mattarella sent a formal greeting to the Pope on Saturday, noting that the centenary of diplomatic ties demonstrates the solidity of shared values and dialogue. In his message, Mattarella addressed the broader international climate.

In a historical moment in which the international order is increasingly exposed to dangerous impulses toward the law of the strongest, your incessant closeness to the communities of every state, small or large, instils hope and confidence in the future.

The San Marino visit is part of a broader calendar of papal travel, following visits to Spain in June and earlier journeys across several African nations. The Holy See has also scheduled upcoming visits to France, Monaco, Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru for November.

Afternoon liturgy in Rimini

Following his engagements in San Marino, Pope Leo XIV travels to the nearby Italian city of Rimini, marking the first papal visit to the municipality in 44 years since Pope John Paul II visited. His itinerary in Rimini includes an appearance at the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples, followed by an encounter with vulnerable individuals inside Rimini Cathedral. Later in the day at 18:30, the Pontiff will preside over a mass on the sand at Piazzale Boscovich.

The beachside liturgy involves 354 priests and deacons wearing stoles hand-printed by a Romagna company with designs inspired by the mosaics of the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna.

Community preparations and exchanges

Diocesan organizers structured the beachfront into designated sectors with limited seating to manage the gathering of 25,000 people. More than 600 volunteers from parishes across the Rimini diocese and neighbouring Italian dioceses are coordinating assistance, orientation, and access.

What we are experiencing is much more than a large event to organize: it is an experience of Church. In these months we have seen many people make time, energy, skills, and above all the desire to serve available.

The Rimini diocese prepared commemorative gifts for the Pontiff, including an anastatic copy of the fourteenth-century Codice Gradenighiano, a manuscript of Dante's Divine Comedy housed in Rimini's Gambalunga Library that features 24 miniatures. Inmates from the Rimini Casa Circondariale prison constructed a presentation box containing letters and personal accounts from patients and families. Pope Leo XIV is presenting the diocese with a ceremonial chalice to be used during the evening liturgy.