Pope Leo calls for dialogue over conflict during visit to landlocked San Marino

(23 Aug 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS San Marino City, San Marino - 22 August 2026 1. Wide of external view of the Public Palace of the Republic of San Marino with people waiting for the Pope 2. Pan left of the San Marino and Vatican flags 3. Tracking shot of the Pope entering the Hall of the Great and General Council 4. Various of the Pope and the Captains Regent giving their speeches inside the Hall of the Great and General Council 5. Medium of the balcony of the Public Palace of San Marino 6. Various of the Pope stepping out onto the balcony to greet the crowd 7. Various of people waiting for the Pope outside the Basilica of Saint Marinus 8. Various of the Pope arriving on foot at the Basilica of Saint Marinus 9. Various of the Pope inside the Basilica of Saint Marinus 10. Various of a group of young faithful with a banner reading in Italian “Young, sparks of a new humanity” 11. Various of the Pope greeting the crowd outside the Basilica of San Marinus 12. Close of a San Marino flag waving STORYLINE: Pope Leo XIV used a visit to the tiny landlocked San Marino and a major Catholic gathering in the Italian city of Rimini on Saturday to issue one of his strongest appeals yet against war, polarization and social division, urging believers to foster dialogue and friendship in a fractured world. Speaking to tens of thousands in Rimini, Leo warned against a culture that “rearms minds, words and nations” and argued that Christians must respond with mercy, encounter and a commitment to peace. He also delivered a message of encouragement to young Catholics, telling them they are “a sign that the future is promising, and not a threat!” Earlier, in San Marino, Leo addressed local authorities of the world’s oldest surviving republic and reflected on the legacy of Saints Marino and Leone, whom he credited with helping create a society rooted in freedom, mutual respect and community. The pope said the two saints translated the Christian message into “a new community and political model, strongly characterized by the Christian principles of freedom, mutual respect and communion” — a legacy that he said continues to shape the republic today. San Marino, a nation of about 35,000 people completely surrounded by Italy, traces its origins to the fourth century. It is governed by a 60-member parliament that elects two captains regent every six months to serve jointly as heads of state, a power-sharing arrangement designed to prevent the concentration of authority. Leo is the third pope to visit San Marino, after St. John Paul II visited in 1982 and Pope Benedict XVI came in 2011. AP Video by Niccolò Lupone =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: info@aparchive.com. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...