Prime Minister Mark Carney met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Sunday, following the Pope’s historic inaugural mass in St. Peter’s Square. Carney, a devout Catholic, attended with his wife Diana and daughter Cleo, joining a gathering of global leaders to witness the beginning of a new papal chapter led by the first American pontiff.
Seated among heads of state, Carney knelt during the blessing of the Eucharist—an act of reverence that stood out among world leaders. He was seen capturing the moment with his phone before and after the mass, signaling a deeply personal connection to the event.
After the mass, Carney held a brief audience with Pope Leo XIV inside St. Peter’s Basilica, where they shared greetings and words of mutual respect. The encounter came amid a weekend of diplomatic meetings for the Canadian prime minister, including talks with leaders from Germany, Italy, Ukraine, and the European Union.
Pope Leo, in his homily, called for global unity in a time of division, condemning war, prejudice, and environmental exploitation. His message resonated with Carney’s recent focus on reconciliation and climate responsibility.
Canadian MPs, including Jaime Battiste and Jean-Yves Duclos, joined Carney in Rome. Battiste emphasized the importance of the Vatican repatriating Indigenous artifacts—a topic discussed with Canadian Cardinals during a Saturday evening reception. “Reconciliation is a journey, and this is a meaningful step,” he said.
Duclos praised Pope Leo’s offer to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, highlighting the Vatican’s unique moral authority. “The Church may be small in size, but its influence can unite rather than divide,” he said.
As Pope Leo XIV begins his papacy with a message of healing and global solidarity, Canada’s leaders signaled readiness to walk that path with him.