Overview
- The Pope arrived by helicopter, met Prince Albert and Princess Charlene at the heliport, spoke from the Princely Palace balcony, and led a Mass at Louis II Stadium attended by the royal family.
- In French remarks, he condemned widening gaps between rich and poor and urged that wealth serve law, justice and peace.
- The Vatican said his program highlighted environmental protection, Monaco’s role in Europe, and the protection of life in all its forms.
- Princess Charlene and her daughter, Princess Gabriella, wore white under the privilège du blanc, a rare Vatican rule that lets select Catholic consorts meet the Pope in white.
- Monaco keeps Catholicism as the state religion despite low rates of regular practice, which gave his moral appeals in the wealthy microstate a pointed backdrop.