Pope Leo to head Down Under for first papal tour in 20 years
Pope Leo XIV will make the first papal visit to Australia in two decades, with hundreds of thousands of worshippers expected to flock to one lucky capital’s famous horse racing venue
READING LEVEL: GREEN
Pope Leo XIV is said to have locked in the first papal* visit to Sydney in two decades, with hundreds of thousands of worshippers tipped to flock to a Sunday mass at Royal Randwick* in 2028.
The first modern English-speaking pope is expected to travel to Australia for the 54th International Eucharistic* Congress in two years’ time.
Talk of a potential visit began last year, after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sent the newly appointed Pope an invitation to the event, but The Daily Telegraph revealed on Monday that his attendance was now “expected”.
“The expectation is that we will get a papal visit in 2028, which we’re all very excited about,” a Catholic source said.
The newspaper reported that Pope Leo’s trip to Sydney – the first by a pope since Benedict XVI attended World Youth Day in 2008 – will be on the long weekend in October 2028.
“Historically, you will see that masses at the Congress have been held on a Sunday and I would expect that to continue,” sources said.
“Every priest from across Sydney will attend, just like 2008 (when Pope Benedict visited) and every priest in attendance will help deliver communion* … They’ll each serve between 200 and 300 members of the congregation*.
“Back in 2008 there were no Sunday masses (across Sydney) but it is obviously a few years away and a bit early to definitively be making those decisions.”
Like the Olympics of the Catholic world, the International Eucharist Congress is held every four years.
Melbourne was the last Australian city to play host to the event back in 1973, with Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II – who was then a cardinal* – among the attendees at the 40th event.
Holding the event in Sydney in 2028 will mark the 100th anniversary of the last time the congress was held in the Harbour City, in 1928.
The week-long event is expected to see Catholics from not only all corners of Australia make the pilgrimage to see the first American-born pope, but also attract visitors from right across the world.
It is understood the visit will be formally jointly announced soon by the Vatican and Mr Albanese – as is customary with any visit by another head of state.
More than 500,000 people flocked to Sydney for the week-long visit of Pope Benedict at World Youth Day in 2008.
It is unclear whether Pope Leo will journey to other Australian cities during his visit, or if he will make a stop in New Zealand.
POLL
GLOSSARY
- papal: relating to the position or authority of the Pope
- Royal Randwick: a historic Sydney horse racing and event venue, its prestigious title given by Queen Elizabeth II in 1992
- Eucharistic: relating to the Eucharist, a Christian ceremony based on Jesus Christ’s last meal, or the holy bread and wine used in this ceremony
- communion: members of the community come forward to receive the body and blood of Christ, in the form of bread and wine
- congregation: a group of people who have come together in a religious building for worship and prayer
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QUICK QUIZ
- What is the name of the current pope?
- When is the expected visit due to take place?
- How long has it been since the last papal visit to Australia and which pope came?
- Holding the Eucharistic Congress in Sydney in 2028 would mark what?
- How often does this special Catholic congress take place?
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Papal visit
Having the Pope visit is a massive drawcard to Sydney and for interested people all over the country to see Pope Leo in person.
Write a five day itinerary of things you think Pope Leo should see and do while visiting for the International Eucharistic Congress in Sydney.
Day 1 -
Day 2 -
Day 3 -
Day 4 -
Day 5 -
Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Humanities, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking
2. Extension
Why do people travel from all over the country and different parts of the world to see the Pope in person?
For what reasons would you like to meet Pope Leo, and if you had a moment with him, what would you ask?
Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking
VCOP
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were there during the papal visit.
Create a conversation between a member of the congregation and the Pope - you may need or want to imagine yourself as one of these characters. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.
Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.