During a one-day visit to the world's oldest surviving republic, Pope Leo XIV praised San Marino as a model of political freedom and civic responsibility, commending its centuries-old republican traditions while warning against political and economic systems that place power above the human person, reports infohub.kz.
Addressing local authorities, Leo reflected on the legacy of Saints Marino and Leone, whom he credited with helping create a society rooted in freedom, mutual respect and community. He 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 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.
Using the microstate as an example, Leo argued that small political communities can offer lessons in public service and social cohesion at a time of growing division and distrust. He described San Marino as a "laboratory of good politics" and called for public life to uphold the dignity of every human person "from conception to natural death" — language commonly used by Vatican officials and Catholic leaders when referring to church opposition to abortion and euthanasia.
In 2021, San Marino voters approved a referendum legalizing abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, overturning a decades-old ban. While Leo did not directly address the referendum, he repeatedly stressed the need for political, social and economic systems to place human dignity at their center. He warned against models that present themselves as liberating but ultimately fail to serve the human person and the common good.
The pope also praised small communities in the San Marino-Montefeltro region that have responded to depopulation and the loss of services through mutual support and cooperation. Leo is the third pope to visit San Marino, after St. John Paul II in 1982 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2011.