PM meets with Pope Leo, invites him to Australia for Eucharistic Congress

In a historic moment, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Monday, extending a formal invitation for the pontiff to visit Sydney in 2028 for the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC).

The private audience marked the first meeting between an Australian prime minister and a pope in more than 16 years. The IEC, which will bring together tens of thousands of Catholics from across the globe, is set to be a landmark event in the Australian Church’s history. Sydney was announced as the host city in 2024, making the2028 Congress the first to be held in Australia since Melbourne in 1973.

The Prime Minister, who has spoken warmly of his upbringing in the Catholic faith, also took the opportunity to present Pope Leo XIV with a painting by Indigenous artist Amanda Westley from the Ngarrindjeri community in South Australia. In return, Pope Leo XIV presented the Prime Minister with an artwork depicting the impact of climate change.

Warm appreciation was expressed for the good bilateral relations between the Holy See and Australia, as well as for the contribution of the Catholic Church in service of society, especially in the educational sphere.

In a poignant personal moment during the meeting, Pope Leo XIV blessed the rosary beads of Mr Albanese’s late mother, Maryanne, who passed away in 2002 and was a devout Catholic, playing a formative role in shaping the Prime Minister’s values.

Following the papal audience, Mr Albanese and Australian ambassador-designate to the Holy See Mr Keith Pitt met with Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations.

A statement released later by the Holy See described the discussions during both meetings as ‘cordial’, noting that ‘warm appreciation was expressed for the good bilateral relations between the Holy See and Australia, as well as for the contribution of the Catholic Church in service of society, especially in the educational sphere.’

According to the Holy See, the discussions covered Australia’s ‘socio-political situation’ and focused on ‘themes of mutual interest, including environmental protection, integral human development and the freedom of religion’.

Speaking the day before his private audience with Pope Leo, Mr Albanese remarked that it had been ‘a privilege’ to attend the inauguration Mass on Sunday.

‘It was a very moving ceremony, where he outlined his vision once again for his papacy and for the time in which he would hold this incredibly important position, not just for Australia’s five million Catholics, but for Catholics throughout the world’.

Mr Albanese said he was ‘very honoured personally to be there. I found it an incredible privilege, and it was good that Australia was represented at the highest level’.

I told him that Australia’s five million Catholics would be watching and wishing him well in his pontificate

The Prime Minister also had an opportunity to meet briefly with Pope Leo in St Peter’s Basilica after the Mass, telling media afterwards that their short conversation was ‘very warm’ and ‘a very personal moment’.

‘I spoke to him about my mother, [who] is I’m sure looking down from heaven with the biggest smile she’s ever had. The fact that her son was at the Inaugural Mass of a pope in the Vatican was quite extraordinary.’

Pope Leo, he said, ‘expressed his affection for Australia, and I told him that Australia’s five million Catholics would be watching and wishing him well in his pontificate.’

Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, is the first North American and first Augustinian pope, known for his pastoral sensibility and emphasis on inclusion. His leadership has already sparked hope among many within the Church for renewed unity and compassion at a time of global division.

The 2028 International Eucharistic Congress is expected to bring together thousands of clergy, religious and lay faithful from across the world. It will be a moment not only of liturgical celebration but of dialogue, catechesis and community outreach, aimed at deepening the Church’s mission in the modern world.

Speaking in September last year, after the announcement that Sydney would host the next IEC, Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher OB described the upcoming Congress as ‘a joyous occasion that will deepen our understanding of the truth of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

‘It is my hope that—in hosting the International Eucharistic Congress—we might renew the sense of solemnity, mystery, welcome and joy in the liturgical life of our city, revitalise our Christian lives, and increase our outreach to those most in need,’ Archbishop Fisher said.

Pope Benedict XVI was the last pope to visit Australia, travelling to Sydney for World Youth Day in 2008.