Pope Leo XIV heads to Monaco on March 28 for a one-day visit that will see him greet the Catholic faithful in a Mediterranean principality known best for yachts and gambling.
The decision to choose tiny Monaco for the U.S.-born pope's first trip in Europe since his election last year has caused puzzlement among observers.
Wedged between the mountains and the sea on the French Riviera, Monaco is the world's second smallest state after the Vatican, and resolutely Catholic.
Ties between the two states date back to the Middle Ages and they share interests such as promoting interfaith dialogue and environmental protection.
Yet many commentators question why he is making the eight-hour trip, his second abroad after visiting Turkey and Lebanon in a joint visit last year.
Philippe Orengo, Monaco's ambassador to the Holy See, said the pope was interested in visiting a country where there has been a resurgence in Catholicism in recent years.
The pope "wanted to see for himself what is happening in Monaco, where this movement of renewal is based on an embraced faith, and on an inclusive popular piety and devotion," he told AFP.
In the first papal trip to Monaco in modern times, Leo will meet Prince Albert II and take a tour in his popemobile, before holding a mass in the local stadium.
