Pope Leo makes his first excursion outside of the Vatican to see Pope Francis’ tomb and Marian shrine

Pope Leo XIV embarked on his inaugural journey beyond the Vatican on Saturday, traveling approximately an hour’s drive east of Rome to visit a Catholic shrine. On his return, he paused to honor the tomb of his predecessor, Francis.

Leo greeted from the passenger side of a Volkswagen as he reached Rome’s St. Mary Major Basilica. As Leo entered the church, he was greeted by a few enthusiastic shouts of “Viva il papa” (Long live the pope). He walked slowly to Francis’ tomb, gently laying a white flower upon it.

He subsequently knelt in prayer for a brief period.

After visiting a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the small town of Genazzano, Leo made the trip to St. Mary Major.

Leo, the former U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected as pope on May 8. He belongs to the Augustinian religious order, which operates the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano.

Leo greeted several individuals in the crowd with a handshake and offered them his blessings before making his way into the shrine.

At the conclusion of the visit, the pope expressed to those present at the shrine his desire to come and pray for guidance during the initial days of his papacy, as stated by the Vatican.

The late Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21, often made unexpected visits to Catholic sites in the vicinity of Rome. He requested to be interred at St. Mary Major in a modest tomb, adorned solely with an inscription of the word “Franciscus,” his name in Latin.

Francis held a deep devotion to the basilica, which served as yet another Marian shrine. In the initial days following his burial, over 30,000 individuals filled the church to pay their respects at his final resting place.