PM to travel to Rome for Pope's inauguration
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will join world leaders in Rome to attend the papal inauguration mass for Pope Leo XIV.
The Prime Minister confirmed he had been invited to the Pope's formal inauguration on Sunday and logistics were being finalised so he could travel from Jakarta to Rome and the Vatican City.
Mr Albanese will head to Jakarta on Wednesday to meet Indonesian President Prabowi Subianto, on his first international trip since winning his second term at the May 3 election.
He will then head to Rome where the inauguration mass for Pope Leo will be held at St Peter's Square on Sunday.
Mr Albanese, a Catholic, said he would represent Australia at the event after Governor-General Sam Mostyn attended Pope Francis' funeral during the election campaign.
'My government looks forward to continuing Australia's strong relationship with the Holy See under Pope Leo XIV's pontificate,' he said. Anthony Albanese will travel to Rome to attend Pope Leo XIV's confirmation ceremony. Photo by Francesco Sforza Vatican Media viaand NewsWire. Credit: Supplied
Mr Albanese said the trip would also provide him an opportunity to have bilateral discussions with a range of world leaders who will also be there.
He will have a chance to meet leaders he has not met before, including Canada's new Prime Minister Mark Carney.
'Leaders are reaching out and organising meetings on the side given people will be in Rome,' Mr Albanese said.
Robert Prevost, 69, was announced as the 267th leader of the Catholic Church last Thursday after the conclave deliberated for two days – one of the shortest papal elections in history.
The first American pope was introduced as Leo XIV to the tens of thousands gathered in St Peter's Square.
Seen as a moderate, Pope Leo was in 2023 promoted to cardinal by his predecessor, the late Pope Francis.
Before his arrival in the Vatican two years ago, he had spent much of his life as a missionary in Peru and holds dual US-Peruvian citizenship.
He has been praised for his work in the South American country, but often shunned the limelight, keeping a low profile even after arriving in the Catholic Church's centre of power.
Pope Francis died on Easter Monday.
Mr Albanese and then opposition leader Peter Dutton suspended campaigning the following day out of respect for the pontiff's death.
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