From plazas to mosques: Where popes go when they travel (charts)

A trip abroad always begins with an official reception for the pontiff. This is true unless the journey is not a state visit. The reception usually takes place at the residence of the president or reigning monarch. It leads to a private meeting between the two heads of state. This is followed by a speech to political and diplomatic authorities, along with civil society representatives, usually in the same place. 

This sequence generally occurs at the beginning of the trip. It concludes the purely diplomatic portion of the journey. Overall, official government buildings visited by a pope abroad represent only a limited share of locations — on average, around 13%.

However, there are a few exceptions. In Turkey and Algeria, Pope Leo XIV first briefly visited monuments exalting the nations’ origins. He did this before meetings at the presidential palaces in Algiers and Ankara.

In Spain, the Pope addressed a parliament for the first time. This is a relatively rare exercise for a pontiff. The pope may also receive opposition representatives or a prime minister. In these cases, the meeting usually happens at the presidential residence or the pope’s residence during that stage of the trip. This is typically the apostolic nunciature or the local bishop’s house.

As one might expect, the pope most frequently visits Catholic religious buildings during his foreign trips. Churches, cathedrals, shrines, and basilicas account for 23% of buildings he visits. This ranks first, just ahead of airports and heliports (22%).

Transport infrastructures, though, often play a more significant role than mere transit points. They host welcoming and farewell ceremonies, and they also sometimes accommodate meetings or even Masses. This happened twice during Pope Leo XIV’s trip to Cameroon.

Because religious buildings often have limited capacity, they generally host smaller gatherings during papal trips. This includes the habitual meeting with representatives of bishops, clergy, religious institutions, and pastoral workers. These typically take place in the cathedral.

Public Masses in these buildings are rarer; Pope Leo XIV has celebrated only two. He celebrated one at the Sagrada Familia basilica on Wednesday, June 10. The other took place at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea, on April 22, 2026.

Papal Masses often draw tens or even hundreds of thousands of the faithful. Because of this, trip organizers favor two types of spaces. The first are stadiums and sports arenas. These represent 10% of the places popes visit abroad. The second are public squares (also 10%); these accommodate even larger crowds. It should be noted that the host country can sometimes provide public spaces for other types of papal events.

This leaves 22% of buildings that do not fit into the above categories. The pope specifically chooses these visits based on the host country. Pope Leo XIV recently traveled to Turkey and Lebanon. This trip was marked by the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, but also by the Islamic presence in both countries. Consequently, he visited multiple non-Catholic places of worship, including mosques and Orthodox churches. He did not do this in Spain or Monaco, where Catholicism remains the majority religion. 

Consequently, non-Catholic religious buildings account for 7% of the places on Pope Leo XIV’s foreign visits. The visits related to the Council of Nicaea anniversary slightly inflated this figure.

Pope Leo XIV has also repeatedly visited charitable organizations, universities, nursing homes, and hospitals (12%). He does this to support groups engaged in civil society. It should be noted that many of these institutions are Catholic. In fact, the Church is one of the world’s largest providers in the fields of education, healthcare, and social assistance.

Finally, prisons are a unique case. Pope Leo XIV has visited them on two occasions: in Spain and Equatorial Guinea.

Papal trips within Italy follow a different format. This is due to the unique ties between the Italian Republic and the Holy See under the Lateran Treaty. The diplomatic component is generally absent. However, one of the first trips of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate was a state visit to the Quirinal Palace. This former papal residence in Rome now houses the Italian president, currently Sergio Mattarella.