Pope Leo XIV is set to visit Lampedusa, the Sicilian island at the heart of Europe's migration crisis, in May, and will also address the suffering of Italians affected by the mafia's long-term toxic waste dumping, as outlined in travel plans released on Thursday by the Vatican. The Vatican shared Leo's schedule for day trips to six different cities in Italy over the course of the next six months.
It is uncommon for the Vatican to publish such detailed plans together and well ahead of time, but news about the visits is beginning to emerge. This active schedule, which will take Leo throughout various regions of Italy, accompanies plans for significant international travel in 2026.
There are potential arrangements for a journey encompassing four African nations after Easter, visiting Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, and Cameroon. Additionally, Leo expressed his desire to visit Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay, with those trips possibly occurring toward the year's end.
The Vatican has already indicated that one foreign visit not included in this year's agenda is to Leo's home country, the United States. As the first pope from the U.S. in history, his ability to travel outside of Rome during his initial year as pope was restricted due to the busy schedule related to the 2025 Holy Year, which attracted millions of pilgrims to the Vatican for special Masses and papal audiences.
With the Jubilee completed, Leo can more easily leave Rome: He has commenced a series of visits to parishes in his Roman diocese every Sunday during Lent, the season leading up to Easter. The Italian travel itinerary announced on Thursday will have Leo exploring both familiar and new places to engage more deeply with the Italian church and its worshippers.
The journey will commence on May 8 with a visit to Naples and the ancient city of Pompeii nearby. He will revisit the region later that month, on May 23, to connect with the faithful in Acerra. This area, often termed the “Land of Fires,” is marked by years of hazardous waste dumping by local mafia groups, which have resulted in heightened cancer rates and health issues among its residents.
On June 20, Leo will head north to Pavia, close to Milan, and then on July 4, he will travel to Lampedusa, an Italian island that is nearer to Africa than to the mainland. Pope Francis had visited Lampedusa as his first excursion outside Rome after his election in 2013 to express solidarity with migrants arriving from North Africa.
Francis notably conducted Mass on the island using an altar crafted from the wreckage of migrant boats and spoke out against the "globalization of indifference" faced by migrants who risk their lives in pursuit of reaching Europe — a principle that became central to his papacy.
On August 6, Leo plans to travel to the hilltop town of Assisi in Umbria, which is marking the 800th anniversary of the passing of its most well-known inhabitant, St. Francis. Later in the month, on August 22, Leo is scheduled to participate in a yearly conference focused on politics and religion held in the coastal resort town of Rimini along the Adriatic.
Born in Chicago, Leo dedicated twenty years to missionary work in Peru and has expressed a passion for traveling. He spent a significant amount of time traveling while he was in charge of his Augustinian religious order for two consecutive six-year terms, a role that involved visiting various Augustinian communities worldwide.
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