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National Catholic Register

PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV Visits Pompei and Naples in Italy

Simone Risoluti
Pope Leo receives a personalized pizza (created for him by Gino Sorbillo and presented to him by Ciro, an employee of the pizzeria) in Naples, Italy, on May 8, 2026.

The Holy Father marked the first anniversary of his pontificate on May 8 by visiting the historic cities in southern Italy.

Pope Leo XIV’s First Year

Daniel Ibáñez
Pope Leo XIV speaks May 6 at the Swiss Guard swearing-in ceremony in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican.

One year ago, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected pope by the Cardinals in the conclave and took the name Leo XIV. Frank Rocca, Senior Vatican Analyst for EWTN News, joins Register Radio this week to look back on the first American born pope’s first year as head of the Church. And Register European Correspondent Solène Tadié tells us about the latest controversy surrounding the restoration and the artistic heritage of Notre Dame Cathedral.

Pope Leo XIV and Peru

Jonathan Liedl/EWTN News
Father Robert Prevost celebrates his birthday with fellow Augustinians during his 11-year assignment in Trujillo, Peru (1988-1999). The photo is on display in the Pope’s old room at the Augustinian house of formation he once led.

As the nation faces more political violence, this week on Register Radio we are joined by Register contributor Alberto Fernandez who reflects on the White House Correspondent Dinner attack and the rise of the new “Revolutionary Vanguards.” And then, as we assess Pope Leo XIV’s first twelve months as pontiff we talk to Jonathan Liedl, Managing Editor of the Register who was also the correspondent for a new EWTN News documentary on the time the future pope spent in Peru.

Pope Leo XIV and Africa

Patrick Leonard
Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass at Malabo Stadium in Equatorial Guinea on April 23, 2026.

Pope Leo XIV has returned to Rome after an 11-day trip to Africa, his as pope, with memorable visits to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea. This week on Register Radio we are joined by Hannah Brockhaus, Deputy Vatican Editor for EWTN News. And then… The Las Vegas Raiders just picked Indiana University QB Fernando Mendoza as the first choice in the 2026 NFL Draft. Register staff writer Gigi Duncan offers “Pro Tips from Las Vegas Catholics for the Raiders New QB" about the Catholic scene he's moving into.

How Popes Speak — and What Politicians Hear

Daniel Ibáñez
Pope Leo XIV speaks May 6 at the Swiss Guard swearing-in ceremony in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican.

COMMENTARY: Any preaching, especially papal preaching, can be universal in language but personal in effect — an examination of conscience conducted by the listener.

Leo XIV Makes Marian Pilgrimage On 1-Year Anniversary As Pope

Pope Leo XIV greets people inside the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompei in Pompei, Italy, on May 8, 2026.

Pope Leo XIV traveled around 150 miles south of Rome to the Italian cities of Pompei and Naples on the first anniversary of his election.

Bransfield, Ex-Wheeling-Charleston Bishop Accused of Misconduct, Dies at 82

Katherine Frey/The Washington Post
Bishop Michael Bransfield recesses after Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Whitesville, West Virginia, Tuesday, April 6, 2010.

An archdiocesan investigation in 2018 claimed Bishop Michael Bransfield engaged in multiple instances of sexual harassment and financial malfeasance of diocesan funds.