Key Facts

• Pope Leo XIV traveled to Pavia, Italy, to pray next to the relics of St. Augustine, a key figure in early Christianity.
• The pope calls St. Augustine a major inspiration for his work as pope.
• Leo urged Italians to rediscover their faith, noting that fewer people attend Mass or marry in the church recently.
• St. Augustine was born in North Africa, lived near Milan, and wrote important religious works.
• The Pope also planned to visit Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, the birthplace of Mother Frances Cabrini, who helped Italian immigrants in the U.S.
• Cabrini was the first American saint and is known as the patron saint of migrants.
• Pope Leo XIV supports welcoming migrants and has spoken about this during visits to migration hotspots like Spain’s Canary Islands.
• The Pope’s next trip will be to Lampedusa, an Italian island known for migrant arrivals from North Africa.