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Pope Leo officially closed the Catholic Church's Holy Year on January 6, 2026, pulling shut a special "Holy Door" in St. Peter's Basilica. The Holy Year, also known as a Jubilee, was inaugurated by the late Pope Francis on December 24, 2024.

VATICAN CITY (ARCHIVE - JANUARY 6, 2026) (VATICAN MEDIA - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF POPE LEO CLOSING HOLY DOOR

Pope Leo made a one-day trip to Monaco on March 28, becoming the first pontiff in nearly five centuries to visit the wealthy Mediterranean enclave on the French Riviera. He arrived after a 90-minute helicopter ride from the Vatican and met first with Prince Albert, Monaco's head of state and son of the late Hollywood star Grace Kelly. The second smallest state in the world after the Vatican, and one of the last countries with Catholicism as the state religion, Monaco is globally known as a haven for billionaires and their luxury yachts.

MONACO, MONACO (ARCHIVE - MARCH 28, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

2. POPE SHAKING HANDS WITH PRINCE ALBERT AND OTHER MEMBERS OF ROYAL FAMILY OF MONACO

Pope Leo washed the feet of 12 priests on April 2 as part of a special ritual before Easter and said the action, emulating a gesture of humility by Jesus on the night before he died, should inspire Catholics to care for those in need. The late Pope Francis preferred to hold the service outside churches, usually in prisons, homes for the elderly or hospices, continuing a practice he began as a bishop in Argentina. Vatican officials said Leo decided to wash the feet of priests this year to show support for Catholic clergy, who often work long hours and lead more than one parish.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - APRIL 2, 2026) (VATICAN MEDIA - Access all)

3. POPE WALKING

4. VARIOUS OF POPE WASHING AND KISSING FEET OF LOCAL PRIESTS

Pope Leo marked the first Good Friday of his papacy, presiding over a traditional "Way of the Cross" procession at Rome's famed Colosseum on April 3. The pope stopped at various points inside the Colosseum to hear Bible readings, writings from St. Francis of Assisi, and the spiritual meditations, which focused extensively on social justice issues.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - APRIL 3, 2026) (RAI POOL - Access all)

5. VARIOUS OF POPE CARRYING CROSS THROUGH COLOSSEUM OVER AUDIO OF PRAYER

Pope Leo urged global leaders in his Easter message on April 5 to end the conflicts raging across the world and abandon any schemes for power, conquest or domination. The pope, who emerged as an outspoken critic of the Iran war, lamented in a special message to the thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square that people are growing accustomed to violence, becoming indifferent. Leo did not mention any specific conflicts in the message, known as the "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) blessing. It was unusually brief and direct.

VATICAN CITY (ARCHIVE - APRIL 5, 2026) (VATICAN MEDIA - Access all)

6. CLERGY LINING UP

7. POPE WAVING FROM BALCONY

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) POPE LEO SAYING:

"Let those who have weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace. Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue. Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them."

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - APRIL 5, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

9. POPE ON POPEMOBILE WAVING TO PEOPLE, BLESSING AN INFANT

Pope Leo said on April 7 that threats against the population of Iran were "unacceptable," in an unusual appeal hours after US President Donald Trump said "a whole civilization will die tonight" in a social media post that shocked world leaders.

CASTEL GANDOLFO, ITALY (ARCHIVE - APRIL 7, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all) (NIGHT SHOTS)

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) POPE LEO SAYING:

"Today, as we all know, there has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable. There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more so a moral issue for the good of the whole, entire population.''

Pope Leo set off on April 13 for an ambitious 10-day tour of four countries in Africa, in a bid to urge global leaders to address the needs on the continent, where more than a fifth of the world's Catholics live.

ROME, ITALY (ARCHIVE - APRIL 13, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

11. POPE WALKING UP PLANE STAIRS, WAVING FROM OUTSIDE PLANE

Aboard the papal flight to Algiers, the pontiff told Reuters that he planned to continue speaking out against war after he was harshly criticised by President Trump, who called Leo "terrible" in a social media post.

IN AIR (ARCHIVE - APRIL 13, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) POPE LEO SAYING:

"I do not look at my role as being political, a politician. I don't want to get into a debate with him (Trump). I don't think that the message of the gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing.''

On day two of his Africa trip, Pope Leo visited on April 14 the ruins of the ancient town of Hippo, in the Algerian northeast coast city of Annaba, where he planted an olive tree as a symbol of peace.

ANNABA, ALGERIA (ARCHIVE - APRIL 14, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

13. POPE LAYING WREATH

ANNABA, ALGERIA (ARCHIVE - APRIL 14, 2026) (VATICAN MEDIA - News Use Only)

14. POPE PRAYING

Pope Leo called for peace on April 16 during a visit to Cameroon's anglophone region, leading prayers for unity before crowds in Bamenda.

BAMENDA, CAMEROON (ARCHIVE - APRIL 16, 2026) (VATICAN MEDIA - News Use Only)

15. GIRL HUGGING POPE

16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) POPE LEO, SAYING:

"The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters."

DOUALA, CAMEROON (ARCHIVE - APRIL 17, 2026) (VATICAN MEDIA - Editorial news only)

17. VARIOUS OF POPE BLESSING PATIENTS

18. POPE TALKING TO NUNS AND RECEIVING FLOWERS OUTSIDE HOSPITAL AS CROWD CHEER

Pope Leo sought to downplay his feud with President Trump on April 18, saying reporting about comments he had made during his Africa tour "has not been accurate in all its aspects."

IN AIR (ARCHIVE - APRIL 18, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

19. (SOUNDBITE) (English) POPE LEO SAYING:

''The talk that I gave at the prayer meeting for peace a couple of days ago was prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting. And yet as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate, again, the president, which is not in my interest at all.''

Pope Leo arrived in Angola on April 18, the third stop on a four-country Africa tour that has seen the US-born pontiff strike a more forceful tone on war, corruption and the exploitation of the continent's resources.

LUANDA, ANGOLA (ARCHIVE - APRIL 18, 2026) (TPA ANGOLA - Access all)

20. POPE POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS WITH ANGOLA PRESIDENT JOAO LOURENCO

KILAMBA, LUANDA PROVINCE, ANGOLA (ARCHIVE - APRIL 19, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

21. POPE DRIVING IN POPEMOBILE, WAVING AT CROWD

KILAMBA, LUANDA PROVINCE, ANGOLA (ARCHIVE - APRIL 19, 2026) (VATICAN TV – News use only)

22. BACK OF POPE IN POPEMOBILE WAVING AND BLESSING CROWDS

Pope Leo's four-nation Africa tour headed towards a dramatic close on April 22, with the pontiff speaking at an Equatorial Guinea prison.

BATA, EQUATORIAL GUINEA (ARCHIVE - APRIL 22, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

23. POPE SPEAKING TO PRISONERS

24. PRISONERS DANCING AND SINGING WITH VATICAN FLAGS IN THEIR HANDS

25. POPE RECEIVING AND RAISING WOODEN CROSS

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo at the Vatican on May 7, at a time of increasing tension following President Donald Trump's repeated attacks on the Catholic leader over the Iran war.

The Vatican said afterwards that the two had pledged to improve their bilateral relations, in what insiders said was an unusual recognition of unprecedented tensions.

VATICAN CITY (ARCHIVE - MAY 7, 2026) (VATICAN MEDIA - Access all)

26. RUBIO ENTERING OFFICE, SHAKING HANDS WITH POPE / RUBIO AND POPE POSING FOR PHOTOS

27. MEETING IN PROGRESS

28. POPE GIFTING RUBIO WITH BOOK

Pope Leo toured around Pompei in his popemobile as he marked his first anniversary as leader of the Catholic Church on May 8.

POMPEI, ITALY (ARCHIVE - MAY 8, 2026) (VATICAN MEDIA - Access all)

29. POPE WAVING TO CROWD FROM POPEMOBILE

Pope Leo asked that God would inspire world leaders to calm global tensions and reduce hatred in an address on May 8 to mark his first anniversary as head of the Catholic Church, a day after he met Secretary Rubio at the Vatican.

POMPEI, ITALY (ARCHIVE - MAY 8, 2026) (VATICAN MEDIA - Access all)

30. WOMAN PRAYING

31. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) POPE LEO SAYING (PLEASE NOTE SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY OVERLAYS SHOT NO. 30)

“Exactly one year ago, when I was entrusted with the Ministry of the Successors of (St.) Peter, it was precisely the Feast of the Virgin’s Intercession.”

32. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) POPE LEO SAYING:

“Two concerns remain as pressing as ever: the family, which is suffering from the weakening of the marital bond, and peace, which is being endangered by international tensions, and by an economy that prefers the arms trade to respect for human life.”

Crowds then packed Naples' seafront and the Piazza del Plebiscito on May 8 to welcome Pope Leo during a visit marking the first year of his pontificate, with pilgrims waving Vatican flags and banners reading "Long live the pope" and "Long live peace."

NAPLES, ITALY (ARCHIVE - MAY 8, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

33. POPE WAVING TO CROWD FROM POPEMOBILE

A video shared on social media on May 16 showed a group of youth in the Vatican teaching Pope Leo the viral ‘6-7’ hand gesture and popular online phrase.

Leo repeated the gesture to applause from the young crowd.

VATICAN CITY (ARCHIVE - MAY 16, 2026) (DON ROBERTO FISCER VIA TIKTOK - No resales/ No archive / Must on-screen courtesy Don Roberto Fiscer via TikTok)

34. YOUTHS SAYING (English) "Six, seven," SHOWING POPE LEO "6-7" HAND GESTURE / LEO REPEATING (English) "Six, seven" AND PERFORMING HAND GESTURE / YOUTHS APPLAUDING

Pope Leo warned on May 25 that some autonomous weapons systems are "practically beyond any human reach" to control, as he presented his encyclical on the risks of AI systems.

VATICAN CITY (ARCHIVE - MAY 25, 2026) (VATICAN MEDIA - Access all)

35. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

36. (SOUNDBITE) (English) POPE LEO SAYING:

"Artificial intelligence already touches many areas of our lives and affects decisions that shape human coexistence. It is also dramatically changing how war is waged."

37. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

38. (SOUNDBITE) (English) POPE LEO SAYING:

"Other very troubling voices have also reached me about increasingly autonomous weapons systems practically beyond any human reach to govern them effectively."

39. WHITE FLASH

40. (SOUNDBITE) (English) POPE LEO SAYING:

"Artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed.”

Over a million people lined the streets of Madrid and one of its main squares on June 7 to catch a glimpse of Pope Leo as he made his way to an open-air Mass in what was expected to be the largest event during his week-long visit to Spain.

MADRID, SPAIN (ARCHIVE - JUNE 7, 2026) (VISITA PAPA LEON XIV – Access all)

41. POPE ON POPEMOBILE DRIVING THROUGH STREETS, PEOPLE CHEERING

42. POPE MEETING SPAIN’S KING FELIPE VI AND QUEEN LETIZIA

Members of Spain's Lower House of parliament gave Pope Leo a seven-minute long-standing ovation, after he delivered a rare speech in which he warned the world was in a "profound" crisis.

MADRID, SPAIN (ARCHIVE - JUNE 8, 2026) (VISITA PAPA LEON XIV – Access all)

43. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) POPE LEO, SAYING (PLEASE NOTE SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY OVERLAYS SHOT NO. 44):

"The world is undergoing a profound spiritual and cultural crisis, manifested in multiple forms of violence, polarisation and mutual distrust."

44. PARLIAMENT MEMBERS LISTENING

45. MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT APPLAUDING

Pope Leo held mass at Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia to inaugurate the newest of its soaring geometric spires that makes the modernist marvel designed by Antoni Gaudi the world's tallest church.

BARCELONA, SPAIN (ARCHIVE - JUNE 10, 2026) (VISITA PAPA LEON XIV - Access all)

46. POPE WAVING AT CROWD FROM POPEMOBILE

BARCELONA, SPAIN (ARCHIVE - JUNE 10, 2026) (VATICAN MEDIA - News use only)

47. POPEMOBILE ARRIVING AT SAGRADA FAMILIA BASILICA

BARCELONA, SPAIN (ARCHIVE - JUNE 10, 2026) (VISITA PAPA LEON XIV - Access all)

48. POPE ENTERING CHURCH WITH CLERGY

49. MEMBER OF THE CLERGY REMOVING POPE’S MITRE

50. POPE CONDUCTING MASS

Pope Leo prayed in silence and laid a wreath on at Lampedusa’s Cala Pisana cemetery on July 4, paying tribute to migrants who died trying to cross the Mediterranean. The cemetery includes an area for migrants who lost their lives at sea, some buried in graves without names or faces, marked by simple crosses.

LAMPEDUSA, ITALY (ARCHIVE- JULY 4, 2026) (VATICAN MEDIA - Access all)

51. POPE LEO LAYING A WREATH AT CALA PISANA CEMETERY

52. POPE PRAYING

53. WOODEN CROSS / POPE PRAYING BENEATH CROSS

Pope Leo expressed solidarity with victims of an earthquake in Colombia on August 12, offering prayers for those killed and injured and thanking rescue workers assisting those affected by the disaster.

VATICAN CITY (ARCHIVE - AUGUST 12, 2026) (VATICAN MEDIA - Access all)

54. POPE SPEAKING, PRAYING

People battled high temperatures to pray with Pope Leo during his visit to Assisi on August 6. The crowd gathered under a blazing summer sun enduring extreme temperatures as Pope Leo paid a visit to mark the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis.

ASSISI, ITALY (ARCHIVE - AUGUST 6, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

55. PEOPLE COOLING OFF WITH WATER SPRAY DURING POPE LEO'S VISIT

ASSISI, ITALY (ARCHIVE - AUGUST 6, 2026) (VATICAN MEDIA - Access all)

56. POPE GREETING PEOPLE

ASSISI, ITALY (ARCHIVE - AUGUST 6, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

57. SCREEN SHOWING POPE DURING MASS

Pope Leo arrived in France on September 25 for the first papal visit to the country in 18 years. He would seek to repair the Church's standing there during the four-day, three-city visit after abuse scandals sparked nationwide shock.

PARIS, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 25, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

58. EIFFEL TOWER SEEN BEHIND FLAGS OF UNESCO MEMBER STATES

59. POPE LEO WAVING AT CROWDS FROM POPEMOBILE

60. EXTERIOR OF NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL

61. POPE WAVING AT CROWDS OUTSIDE THE CATHEDRAL

Paris filled the length of the Champs-Élysées on September 26 as the Pope led the biggest event of his France visit, an outdoor Mass officials estimated drew around 800,000 people. He urged Catholics to seek joy in faith rather than material things.

PARIS, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 26, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all)

62. POPE LEO PASSING BY CHEERING CROWDS IN POPEMOBILE

Pope Leo said on October 11 that doctors had detected a small growth on his lung during a recent health check and he would be undergoing surgery this week to remove it, in the first health scare of the 71-year-old pontiff's tenure.

VATICAN CITY (OCTOBER 11, 2026) (VATICAN MEDIA - Access all)

63. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) POPE LEO SAYING:

“Dearest, recently during some medical examinations, doctors found a localized nodule in my lung. It was detected at a very early stage and is well contained. The doctors believe it is advisable to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it. The operation is already scheduled for the next few days. I thank you for your spiritual support and entrust myself to your prayers. Thank you and have a good Sunday".

Pope Leo arrived at Rome's Gemelli Hospital on October 13 to have his scheduled surgery in the afternoon to remove a small growth on one of his lungs, in the first major health issue of his 17-month tenure.

ROME, ITALY (OCTOBER 13, 2026) (VATICAN MEDIA - Access all)

64. POPE GETTING OUT OF CAR, SHAKING HANDS WITH OFFICIAL

65. PEOPLE CLAPPING AND CHEERING / POPE ENTERING HOSPITAL AND WAVING

Pope Leo had a lower lobe of his right lung removed during surgery on October 13 and was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin. He was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital to remove a growth on his lung that doctors found in a recent health check-up.

VATICAN CITY (OCTOBER 13, 2026) (HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE - Access all) (MUTE)

66. HOLY SEE STATEMENT READING (Italian):

“Dr. Luigi Carbone and Prof. Stefano Margaritora issued the following statement regarding this afternoon's operation:

The Holy Father underwent thoracic surgery as scheduled.

In order to ensure the complete removal of the affected tissue, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted surgical technique.

An intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, as had been suspected on the basis of pre-operative tests.

The Holy Father remained in the operating room for approximately three hours, the surgical procedure itself lasted about 90 minutes. The operation was successful and there were no complications.

Following the surgery, the Pope awoke normally and, after a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the 10th floor.

The surgical team was led by Prof. Stefano Margaritora, assisted by Prof. Elisa Meacci, Dr. Maria Teresa Congedo, and Dr. Leonardo Petracca Caravella.

The anaesthesiology team consisted of Prof. Massimo Antonelli, Dr. Giovanni Punzo, and Dr. Giuseppe Bello,"

Pope Leo spent a peaceful night in hospital after undergoing surgery for lung cancer, the Vatican said on October 14, adding that further information about his condition would be released later in the day.

ROME, ITALY (OCTOBER 13, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all) (NIGHT SHOTS)

67. EXTERIOR OF AGOSTINO GEMELLI UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL