Pope Leo to visit Genazzano as ‘pilgrim’ before Mother of Good Counsel
Pope Leo XIV is visiting the Italian town of Genazzano for a pilgrimage to the Basilica of the Mother of Good Counsel. The visit includes a Mass and the unveiling of a portrait depicting the Pope in prayer before the sacred icon.
Why it matters
The visit highlights the ongoing religious and cultural significance of the Genazzano shrine within the Catholic Church.
By Benedetta Capelli & Eugenio Bonanata An atmosphere of joyful anticipation filled Genazzano, the medieval Italian town located around 40 kilometres from Rome, as it awaited the arrival of Pope Leo XIV. At 6:00 p.m. on Monday, the Pope celebrates Mass at the Basilica on the eve of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He made a private visit to Genazzano on 10 May 2025, two days after his election as Bishop of Rome. His visit is an expression of his devotion to Our Lady, who—as he wrote in the shrine’s guestbook while entrusting his Magisterium to her—has accompanied him throughout his life “with her maternal presence, her wisdom and the example of her love for her Son, who is always the centre of my faith.
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