List of pastoral visits of Pope Francis

2013

Pope Francis visits a favela in Brazil during the World Youth Day 2013.

•  Brazil (22 to 29 July 2013)

Main article: World Youth Day 2013

Francis visited Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for World Youth Day. This was the only scheduled foreign trip for him in the year. Francis was officially welcomed to Brazil during a ceremony at Guanabara palace and met with Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff.^[1] Throughout the celebrations, Francis gathered up to 3.5 million pilgrims to celebrate mass at Copacabana Beach.^[2] During his vigil address, Francis urged the pilgrims not to be "part-time Christians", but to lead full, meaningful lives.^[3] The trip was previously scheduled for his predecessor, Benedict XVI, before his retirement.^[4]

2014

Pope Francis waving for the people after the mass in Bethlehem. (By/ Mustafa Bader)

•  Israel,  Jordan, and  Palestine (24 to 26 May 2014)

Francis visited Amman, Bethlehem and Jerusalem during his three-day trip to the region from 24 to 26 May. The trip was announced during the Sunday Angelus on 5 January 2014.^[5][6] Francis arrived in Jordan on 24 May and after meeting with King Abdullah II, celebrated mass at Amman International Stadium.^[7] During his trip, Francis prayed at the Israeli West Bank barrier and also visited the Victims of Acts of Terror Memorial with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.^[8] Francis concluded his tour by meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew I to continue inter-faith dialogue with the Orthodox Church.^[9]

Pope Francis travels through Gwangwhamun Square during the beatification ceremony.

•  South Korea (14 to 18 August 2014)

Pope Francis arrived in Seoul Air Base on 14 August to start his five-day visit to South Korea on the occasion of the Sixth Asian Youth Day.^[10] Upon arrival, Francis was greeted by South Korean President Park Geun-hye.^[11] Afterwards, Francis held a private meeting with the families of victims of the MV Sewol ferry disaster.^[12] He later made a speech in English, his first as Pope. Speaking at the Presidential Office in Seoul he said "I came here thinking of peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula." ^[13] Francis held the first public mass of his trip on 15 August in front of a 50,000 strong crowd at Daejeon World Cup Stadium where he asked Koreans to "reject inhumane economic models which create new forms of poverty and marginalize workers."^[14] He beatified the first generation of 124 Korean Martyrs in Gwangwhamun Square on front of an estimated crowd of 800,000 people on 16 August.^[15] Francis concluded his five-day visit with a Mass for peace and reconciliation of the divided Korean peninsula in Seoul's Myeongdong Cathedral.^[16]

•  Albania (21 September 2014)

Pope Francis announced in his Angelus address on 15 June 2014 that he would make a one-day visit to the city of Tirana in Albania. He said: "With this brief visit, I want to confirm the Church of Albania in the faith, and bear witness to my encouragement and love for a country that has suffered for so long in consequence of the ideologies of the past".^[17] Security concerns were raised in the days before the visit after Iraqi governmental officials warned they had received intelligence reports suggesting Islamic fundamentalists may be planning an attempt on the Pope's life while in Albania.^[18]

The 11-hour visit was the first European trip made by Francis. He said in August that he had chosen Albania as the first destination because it has set a model for harmony between the various religions by establishing a national unity government that includes Muslims, Orthodox, and Catholic Christians. During his stay, he met Albanian President Bujar Nishani, celebrated mass in Mother Teresa square in Tirana, and met with religious leaders, including those of the Muslim, Orthodox, Bektashi, Jewish and Protestant faiths. He also honored those persecuted under the rule of former communist dictator Enver Hoxha. Some 130 Christian clergy died in detention or were executed during the 1944–1985 dictatorship of Hoxha, who declared Albania the world's first atheist state in 1967. Pictures of some of the priests persecuted or executed during the period were hung in Tirana's main Martyrs of the Nation boulevard ahead of the pope's visit. Albania has since seen a revival of Catholicism partly owing to the popularity of Mother Teresa, who had Albanian origins despite being born in what is now Macedonia.^[19]

Francis making his address to the European Parliament

•  France (25 November 2014)

Pope Francis made a four-hour visit, the shortest made by any pope abroad, to Strasbourg on 25 November 2014, where he addressed the European Parliament and the Council of Europe raising issues such as the dignified treatment of immigrants arriving illegally in Europe and better conditions for workers.^[20]

•  Turkey (28 to 30 November 2014)

Pope Francis accepted an invitation to visit Turkey at the behest of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in September 2014. This invitation also came from Patriarch Bartholomew I in order to commemorate the feast day of Saint Andrew.^[21] Francis arrived at Esenboğa International Airport in Ankara on 28 November where he was met by Turkish dignitaries before he traveled to Anıtkabir, laying a wreath in memory of the Turkish republic's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.^[22] Francis then traveled to the Presidential Palace where he met with President Erdoğan and gave a speech urging interfaith dialogue to counter fanaticism and fundamentalism and called for a renewed Middle-East peace push, saying the region had "for too long been a theatre of fratricidal wars".^[23] The following day, Francis visited the Blue Mosque in Istanbul where he prayed silently alongside senior Islamic clerics.^[24] Francis concluded his visit with a liturgy in the Church of St. George alongside Bartholomew I, asking for his blessing "for me and the Church of Rome" and also urging the re-unification between the two Churches, telling the Orthodox faithful gathered in St George's that "I want to assure each one of you gathered here that, to reach the desired goal of full unity, the Catholic Church does not intend to impose any conditions except that of the shared profession of faith".^[25]

2015

Pope Francis in Colombo, Sri Lanka. 14 January 2015

Pope Francis rides around the faithful after the open air Mass in Tacloban. 17 January 2015

•  Sri Lanka and  Philippines (13 to 19 January 2015)

Main article: Pope Francis's visit to the Philippines

Pope Francis visited Sri Lanka on 13–15 January and the Philippines (15–19) in January.^[26][27][28]

In Sri Lanka he paid pastoral visits to Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu in Madhu and Basilica of Our Lady of Lanka.^[29]

Pope Francis's visit to Philippines was the fourth papal visit to the island nation. Paul VI visited Philippines in 1970 and John Paul II came in 1981 for the beatifications of Lorenzo Ruiz and then Domingo Ibáñez de Erquicia and returned in 1995 for the celebration of the World Youth Day.

Pope Francis's visit to the Philippines in January 2015 had become the largest papal event in history with around 6–7 million attended his final mass at Manila surpassing the then largest papal event at World Youth Day 1995 in the same venue 20 years earlier.^[30][31][32]

Pope Francis arriving at Koševo Stadium in Sarajevo

•  Bosnia and Herzegovina (6 June 2015)

Pope Francis announced on 1 February 2015 that he intended to visit Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 6 June 2015. His visit placed importance on ecumenical dialogue. It is estimated that 67.000 people visited the event whose height was the mass at Koshevo stadion. Most pilgrims were from Croatia and Bosnia but there were also 1000 pilgrims from Serbia, many groups from Hungary, Slovenia, Macedonia, communities of Croats from Germany, Austria, United States, and group of nuns from Panama and even Egypt.^[33]

Pope Francis in Paraguay

•  Bolivia,  Ecuador, and  Paraguay (5 to 13 July 2015)

It was announced by the Holy See in May 2015 that Pope Francis would visit Bolivia in July 2015, as well as two other South American countries, Ecuador and Paraguay. Prior to the visit, Bolivian President Evo Morales had confirmed that Pope Francis would meet with indigenous organizations on the sidelines of official functions.^[34][35] The schedule released indicated that the pope would be in Ecuador from 5–8 July, Bolivia from 8–10 July and Paraguay from 10–12 July 2015. His return to Rome is scheduled for 13 July 2015.^[36][37] The Holy See Press Office's Director, Federico Lombardi, S.J., acknowledged there were reports that Pope Francis might chew coca leaves, or perhaps drink tea made from coca (he ended up drinking coca tea with a couple other ingredients), which in that region is considered sacred by some and is a key crop (it is rich in calcium, protein, and iron, among other nutrients, and could potentially fight altitude sickness- a popular reason for its use, but it is also the main ingredient in cocaine), during the trip, but he stated nothing had been decided yet. Pope John Paul II and Pope Paul VI both had similar experiences, so engaging in this particular cultural custom would not be unprecedented.^[38]

In the course of his visit to Ecuador, Pope Francis met President Rafael Correa, visited with priests and seminarians, paid a private visit to a Jesuit priest friend, visited a home for the elderly in Quito and a shrine in the town of El Quinche. His last Mass in Ecuador drew about 1.5 million people.^[39] Arriving in Bolivia on 8 July, Pope Francis was received by President Evo Morales at El Alto International Airport near La Paz. In his speech after arrival the pope said among other: "Bolivia is making important steps towards including broad sectors in the country’s economic, social and political life. Your constitution recognizes the rights of individuals, minorities and the natural environment, and provides for institutions to promote them." Later during the meeting in Government palace Morales awarded Pope Francis with the highest Bolivian state decoration, the Grand Cross of the Order of the Condor of the Andes and with the State decoration of Luís Espinal Camps, named after a Jesuit priest and activist known for his commitment to the disadvantaged people of the country, who was murdered by paramilitary forces in March 1980 for his defense of them. He also presented the pope with a crucifix in form of a hammer and sickle, which form the symbol of the Communist Party, which he explained had been a form created by Espinal himself in his efforts to identify with the oppressed poor of that country. This gift immediately proved controversial.^[40] The pope also prayed in the place near La Paz where the body of this murdered Jesuit priest was found and by this occasion he highlighted his preaching of the Gospel. Pope Francis visited also the Cathedral of La Paz and after leaving La Paz he traveled to Santa Cruz de la Sierra in the eastern part of Bolivia.^{[41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48]} On 9 July Pope Francis celebrated Mass in Santa Cruz de la Sierra connected with the opening of the Fifth National Eucharistic Congress.^[49] He also attended the World Meeting of Popular Movements, taking place in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. This event brought together delegates from popular movements from around the world and there also participated President of Bolivia Evo Morales. Pope Francis expressed in his speech on this event his solidarity with gathered popular movements and their efforts.^[50][51]

Pope Francis addresses the U.S. Congress.

•  Cuba and  United States (19 to 27 September 2015)

Main article: Pope Francis's 2015 visit to North America

On 19 September 2015 Pope Francis departed aboard an Alitalia A330 (Shepherd One) from Rome's Fiumicino International Airport, to Havana's José Martí International Airport where he arrived to an official Welcoming Ceremony. The next day, he was the principal celebrant at a Papal Mass at the Plaza de la Revolución in Havana at 9:00, before he paid a courtesy visit to the President of the Council of State and of the Council of Ministers of the Republic at Palacio de la Revolución in Havana. His day ended with celebrations of Vespers with priests, men and women religious, and seminarians, at the Cathedral of Havana, and a greeting to the young people of the "Centro Cultural Padre Félix Varela" in Havana during the early evening.^[52]

On 21 September, he departed by plane from Havana for Holguín, to preside at a Papal Mass at Plaza de la Revolución. Before departing for Santiago de Cuba, he gave a blessing to the city, from Loma de la Cruz, in Holguín. Having arrived in Santiago, he met with the Bishops of Cuba at St Basil the Great Seminary, and say a prayer to the Virgen de la Caridad, with the Bishops and the Papal Entourage, at the Minor Basilica of the Shrine "Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre" in Santiago.

On 22 September, he celebrated a Papal Mass at the Minor Basilica of the Shrine "Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre" in Santiago in the morning and later had a meeting with families at Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral in Santiago. After a blessing of the city of Santiago from the square in front of the Cathedral of Santiago, he left with a farewell ceremony from Santiago Airport, en route to Washington, D.C., where he arrived at Joint Base Andrews during the evening of 22 September 2015.

On Wednesday, 23 September, the pope met with President Barack Obama at the White House. It was the third visit by a pope to the White House, following meetings between Jimmy Carter and Pope John Paul II in October 1979 and George W. Bush and Pope Benedict XVI in April 2008.^[53]

Also that day, Francis took part in a prayer with bishops from the United States at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, the seat of Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington. Later that day, he celebrated Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, near the Catholic University of America. During the Mass, he canonized (declared to be a Saint) Junípero Serra, a Spanish Franciscan friar who founded a mission in Baja California, and the first nine of 21 Spanish missions in California.

On Thursday, 24 September, Pope Francis gave an address to a Joint session of the United States Congress, the first Supreme Pontiff to do so. He followed that with a visit to St. Patrick's Church, the oldest parish church in Washington. The church was founded in 1794.^[54] He also visited the Washington, D.C. local Catholic Charities office. He then flew from Washington, to New York City. After arriving at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, he took part with New York's Cardinal Timothy Dolan in Evening Vespers (part of the Liturgy of the Hours), at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

On Friday, 25 September, Pope Francis addressed the United Nations General Assembly. It was the fifth address by a Pope to the U.N. General Assembly, following appearances by Pope Paul VI in October 1965, Pope John Paul II in October 1979 and October 1995, and Pope Benedict XVI in April 2008. Following the address to the U.N., he participated in an ecumenical service at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, at the former World Trade Center site. In the afternoon, he visited a school in East Harlem, then celebrated a Papal Mass at Madison Square Garden.

On Saturday, 26 September, Pope Francis traveled from New York to Philadelphia, where he was welcomed by city and state leaders and Philadelphia's Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. He celebrated a Papal Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. He visited Independence Mall in the afternoon, and the Festival of Families of the 2015 World Meeting of Families^[55] in the early evening. The Pope's visit concluded on Sunday, 27 September, with a Papal Mass in the afternoon. After a departure ceremony, he departed on a jet for Rome and the Vatican.

In honor of the visit, the Museum of the Bible will sponsor a special exhibition entitled "Verbum Domini II" at the Philadelphia Convention Center, adjacent to the World Meeting.^[56] The official schedule of his visit was announced at the end of June.^[57]

•  Kenya,  Uganda, and  Central African Republic (25 to 30 November 2015)

Main article: Pope Francis's visit to Kenya

Pope Francis stated, aboard the papal plane returning from the Philippines, that he hoped to visit Africa late in 2015 and mentioned the Central African Republic and Uganda as likely sites.^[58] The Holy See Press Office confirmed in June 2015 that the pope would visit those two countries.^[59] The Vatican confirmed in September that Francis's last trip for 2015 would in fact consist of Kenya, Uganda, and the Central African Republic. The visit started with Nairobi, Kenya (25–27 November), then arrive in Entebbe, Uganda with visits to Namugongo and Kampala (27–29 November), and will finally end the visit in Bangui, Central African Republic (29–30 November) where he spent 39 hours before flying back to Rome.^[60][61] Pope Francis's visit to the Central African Republic, which is in a state of a civil war, made him the first pope to enter an active war zone.^[62]

On Wednesday, 25 November, Pope Francis arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi aboard an Alitalia A330 ("Shepherd One") at approximately 4:32 pm EAT, about 30 minutes ahead of schedule, where he was welcomed by members of the Government of Kenya, led by President Uhuru Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret Gakuo Kenyatta, and a number of Catholic bishops, led by Cardinal John Njue, Archbishop of Nairobi. A band of traditional dancers also performed while the pope arrived.^[63] Pope Francis and his entourage then headed to the State House, where he was honored with a 21-gun salute and a guard of honour from the Kenya Army, before holding private talks with President Kenyatta and other government officials. There, he also met with former presidents Daniel arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki, as well as the Kenyatta family.^[64] After the meetings, President Kenyatta and Pope Francis each addressed the nation from the lawn of the State House. During his 11-minute speech, the pope touched on the importance of the youth and the environment, addressing poverty and inequality, reconciliation, and peace.^[65][66] After, Pope Francis boarded his popemobile and headed to the Apostolic Nunciature in Westlands, Nairobi, his residence during his visit in Kenya.^[67]

The following day, Thursday, 26 November, Pope Francis participated in an interfaith dialogue with local faith leaders at the Apostolic Nunciature, where he apprised the importance of interfaith dialogues as "essential" for preventing radicalization and religious attacks, mentioning the Westgate shopping mall attack in September 2013 and the Garissa University College attack in April 2015 to which the jihadist group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for.^[68] Later that morning, Pope Francis headed to the University of Nairobi campus, where he celebrated his first papal Mass in Africa with an estimated crowd of 1.4 million people. In his homily, the pope urged Kenyans to support families and inclusive societies and "resist practices which foster arrogance in men, hurt or demean women and threaten the life of the innocent unborn."^[69][70][71] In the afternoon, Pope Francis met with Kenyan priests, seminarians, and devotees at the field of St. Mary's School. In his speech addressing them, the pope stressed the importance of consecrated life that is only achieved by "staying true to the calling" and their commitment to service. He also urged the priests, seminarians, and devotees to continue the act of prayer and to avoid "the sin of indifference and lukewarmness," saying that "indifference makes God vomit."^[72][73] After his speech, Pope Francis headed to the United Nations Office at Nairobi, where he delivered a speech addressing the staff on climate change ahead of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, saying that "it would be 'catastrophic' if particular interests prevailed over the common good of people and the planet or if the conference were manipulated by business interests" and urging world leaders at the conference to reach an agreement over the limitations of carbon footprint and environmental degradation.^[74][75] He also warned Africans on the effects of ivory trade and conflict resource to Africa's natural environment, linking the illegal trafficking activities to organized crime and terrorism.^[76][77]

On Friday, 27 November, Pope Francis visited the residents of the Kangemi slum, where he presided over a Mass celebrated by the residents at their local church.^[78] The pope criticized the "new colonialism" of injustice and "urban exclusion" faced by the Kenyan slums, including the lack of infrastructure and basic services such as education, electricity, sewage treatments, drinking water, and healthcare, as well as inadequate housing and the treatment of children to criminal gangs.^[79][80] Later that morning, Pope Francis met with the Kenyan youth at the Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani, where he answered some of the youth's testimonies regarding issues faced by the Kenyan youth, including corruption, issues on tribalism, religious fanaticism, and radicalization. He urged the Kenyan youth to avoid the temptation of corruption, saying: "Corruption is something that gets inside of us, it's like sugar. But it ends badly. When we have too much sugar, we end up with diabetes, or our country ends up being diabetic."^[81] He also discussed with the Kenyan youth the importance of education and jobs to prevent radicalization and the recruitment of the youth to join militant groups.^[82][83] In the afternoon, Pope Francis headed to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to depart Nairobi for Uganda. The pope was sent off by President Kenyatta, First Lady Margaret, Deputy President William Ruto, Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro, several other Kenyan government officials, and a number of Catholic leaders. Traditional dancers and the Kenya Defence Forces band performed as the pope departed. Pope Francis and his delegation departed Nairobi at approximately 3:51 pm EAT aboard an Alitalia A330 ("Shepherd One").^[84] He arrived at the Entebbe International Airport an hour later, where a military band played the Vatican and the Ugandan national anthems and traditional drummers and dancers were performing while he was welcomed by President Yoweri Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, and a number of Catholic bishops.^[85] He then headed to the State House for a brief meeting with President Museveni and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit.^[86]

On Saturday, 28 November, Pope Francis headed to Namugongo to visit the Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine decicated to the Uganda Martyrs, a group of 45 Christian converts in Buganda who were burned to death in the late 19th century for refusing to renounce their faith under Kabaka Mwanga II.^[87][88] President Museveni initially invited the pope to visit Uganda in October 2014, the 50th year anniversary of the canonization of the Uganda Martyrs, but declined due to prior commitments.^[89] He then celebrated Mass with an estimated crowd of 1.5 to 2 million people to honor the martyrs. Among the attendees were President Museveni, President Kiir of South Sudan, and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, as well as descendants of Kabaka Mwanga II.^[90][91] During the celebrations, Pope Francis urged the audience to follow the zeal of the Uganda Martyrs in their mission by "taking care of the elderly, the poor, the widowed and the abandoned."^[92] In the afternoon, Pope Francis headed to the unused Kampala Airport for a meeting with around 150,000 of the Ugandan youth, where two youths delivered testimonies to the pope regarding the challenges faced by the Ugandan youth, particularly the tribulations of conflict and the spread of HIV to the youth.^[93][94] He later visited the House of Charity in Nalukolongo, a home for the poor, sick, and disabled, to meet with them.^[95]

2016

Pope Francis celebrates a Mass at San Cristobal de las Casas in Mexico.

•  Cuba and  Mexico (12 to 18 February 2016)

Pope Francis, on 7 June 2014, accepted an invitation to visit Mexico at the behest of the Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto. In October 2015 it was confirmed by the Vatican spokesman that the pope would travel to Mexico in early 2016. It was also confirmed that Pope Francis would visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.^[96][97] On 1 November 2015, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, Archbishop of Mexico City, confirmed the pope's visit and said the pope would arrive on 12 February 2016.^[98] It was confirmed that, besides Mexico City, Pope Francis would also visit the cities of Ecatepec, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, San Cristobal de las Casas, Morelia and Ciudad Juárez.^[99]

On 12 February 2016, Pope Francis, and Patriarch Kirill, of the Russian Orthodox Church, met at José Martí International Airport near Havana, Cuba, and signed a thirty-point joint declaration (Joint Declaration of Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill), prepared in advance, addressing global issues including their hope for re–establishment of full unity.^[100][101] The meeting was facilitated by the Cuban leadership who proposed Cuba as a neutral place for the two religious leaders to meet.

•  Greece (16 April 2016)

On 5 April 2016 sources reported Pope Francis would visit the Greek island of Lesbos in support of the thousands of refugees who are there awaiting asylum, or who have passed through the island on their way to Europe and beyond. The pope reported that such a visit was under consideration.^[102] It was announced not long after that the pope would make a one-day visit to the island on 16 April 2016.^[103]

•  Armenia (24 to 26 June 2016)

President Serzh Sargsyan of Armenia extended an official invitation to Pope Francis to visit Armenia in 2015, which the pontiff readily accepted, expressing his sincere desire to visit the country. No date was given for the visit.^[104] It was confirmed in 2015 that the pope would visit Armenia sometime in 2016.^[105] The visit was originally believed to take place in April, but in February 2016 was reported to potentially take place in September with corresponding visits to Azerbaijan and Georgia.^[106] In March 2016, the Vatican made it clear that a potential visit to Armenia was likely to take place in the latter half of June, though was still in initial planning stages.^[107] It was announced in a press bulletin of 9 April 2016 that the pope would visit Armenia from 24 to 26 June after formally accepting the invitations extended to him.

Pope Francis in silent prayer at Auschwitz

•  Poland (27 to 31 July 2016)

Main article: World Youth Day 2016

Pope Francis visited Kraków, Poland, the city where Karol Wojtyła had served as the archbishop, from 27 to 31 July 2016 on the occasion of World Youth Day 2016. Wojtyła was later elected Pope John Paul II, and canonised after his death. The pope took the opportunity to visit the Auschwitz concentration camp where he spent time in silent prayer and visited the cell of Saint Maximilian Kolbe. Afterwards, he met with several Holocaust survivors before leaving the camp.

Pope Francis in Georgia, arriving to the Patriarchy of the Georgian Orthodox Church

•  Georgia and  Azerbaijan (30 September to 2 October 2016)

It was reported in early 2016 that a potential visit to Georgia and Azerbaijan could take place in September 2016 alongside a possible trip to Armenia. It was later reported that it was still in the initial planning phases and that nothing was set concretely. It was announced in a press bulletin of 9 April 2016 that the pope would visit those countries from 30 September to 2 October after receiving formal invitations from the civic authorities and Ilia II of Georgia. The pontiff’s journey began on Friday in Georgia, where he was met at the airport by Patriarch Ilia II, the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church. While in Georgia, Pope Francis reached out to the Georgian church, despite an apparent snub by Orthodox leaders who declined to attend a Mass he held Saturday in a largely empty stadium in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, after they also discouraged followers from attending. The apparent courtship extended to comments on marriage in which he embraced ideas held dear by the Georgian Orthodox Church. Without addressing homosexuality directly, he criticized “ideological colonization”—shorthand for the influence of foreign ideas on traditional values—for contributing to an assault on the institution of marriage. In a visit to Georgia’s predominantly Muslim neighbor Azerbaijan, the pope focused on interreligious dialogue and tolerance, steering clear of direct criticism against the increasingly authoritarian presidency of Ilham Aliyev. Under Mr. Aliyev, Azeri authorities have arrested scores of human-rights workers and members of political opposition groups, and have worked to cut local rights groups off from foreign funding while boosting the president’s power. In an address to the president, the pope emphasized the importance of not “abusing the rights of others who have different ideas and perspectives,” but otherwise praised the leader for efforts to promote civic growth.

•  Sweden (31 October to 1 November 2016)

In January 2016, sources reported that Francis would travel in October to Sweden for an ecumenical ceremony marking the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.^[108] It was later made official on 25 January 2016 that in the last week of October 2016 the pope would travel to the country for the commemoration as a one-day visit though later altered to include another day so that the pope could celebrate a Mass with the small Catholic numbers in Sweden.^[109] In Sweden he met the Church of Sweden's archbishop Antje Jackelén.^[110] It was during this visit the Joint Declaration of Pope Francis and Bishop Munib Younan was signed.

2017

•  Egypt (28 to 29 April 2017)

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi invited the pope to visit the nation in November 2014, when the pair met; the pope agreed to the visit. Pope Tawadros II also invited the pope to visit. The official ambassador delivered a formal invitation to the pope in June 2015.^[111] It was announced on 18 March 2017 that the pope would indeed visit Egypt from 28 to 29 April.

Pope Francis visited Egypt from 28 to 29 April 2017,^[112] as "a messenger of peace".^[113] On his first day in Egypt, he arrived in Cairo and met with President Sisi.^[114] He later attended a peace conference at Al Azhar University in Cairo and met with various religious leaders,^[115][116] including the Grand Imam of Al Azhar Sheikh Muhammad Ahmed al-Tayeb and Coptic Orthodox Patriarch Pope Tawadros II.^[117][115] At the Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, which was bombed in Palm Sunday 2017 and serves as Tawadros's Seat, the two popes signed a joint declaration which mutually declaring "not to repeat the baptism that has been administered in either of our churches for any person who wishes to join the other".^[118] He also held an ecumenical prayer service with Tawadros and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I at the St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, which was bombed by terrorists on 11 December 2016.^[119][120] The next day, he celebrated a Mass with approximately 15,000 people at Cairo's Air Defence Stadium.^[121]

Pope Francis presides over the canonization of Francisco and Jacinta Marto in Fátima, Portugal on 13 May 2017.

•  Portugal (12 to 13 May 2017)

Bishop Antonio Marto announced that on 25 April 2015 the pope confirmed that he would visit Fátima in Portugal to mark the centenary of the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima. It was also made known that the government and Portuguese Episcopal Conference extended invitations to the pope. Pope Francis will also canonize Francisco and Jacinta Marto, two of the three seers of Fatima.^[122][123] It has been reported that the visit could take place from 11–14 May (in which the pope would visit Lisbon, Fátima and Braga) and could include the canonization of Bartholomew of Braga; the schedule was debunked when the pope himself stated that at the present time he shall only be there for one day in Fátima only, though a November 2016 report indicated it could be a two-day visit.

He arrived in Portugal on 12 May 2017 for a two-day visit after landing at Monte Real Portuguese Air Force base and was greeted by Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.^[124] The Pope then held a private meeting with Sousa before holding a service at the base's chapel.^[124] He then traveled by helicopter to the Sanctuary of Fátima,^[124] where he prayed in front of a statue of the Madonna and held an evening prayer in front of the tens of thousands of pilgrims at the Sanctuary's Chapel of the Apparitions.^[124] He later presided over the traditional Blessing of the Candles in front of the Chapel's Our Lady of Fatima statue.^[124] The next day, the Pope met with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa and prayed in front of the tombs of Francisco and Jacinta Marto.^[125] He then canonized both Francisco and Jacinta Marto as Catholic saints while presiding over a mass for hundreds of thousands of pilgrims at the Sanctuary's Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary;^[125] more pilgrims attending the mass were located in Basilica's large square.^[125]

•  Colombia (6 to 10 September 2017)

Pope Francis reportedly intended to visit Colombia at the earliest possible chance. It was believed that it would occur during his 2015 Latin America tour, but it was revealed that it would occur at some other point in the future.^[126] In January 2016, it was announced that a possible date for a potential visit would be sometime in 2017.^[127] It was later confirmed in January 2016 that the pope would indeed visit Colombia in 2017.^[128] The president has stated the pope's visit shall occur in the first quarter of 2017.^[129] However, it was announced on 10 March 2017, that the trip was scheduled to occur from 6 to 11 September.^[130] His visit hopes to help solidify the Colombian peace process and encourage reconciliation.^[131]

Pope Francis arrived at Bogota International Airport on 6 September and was greeted by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, First Lady Maria Rodriguez, and the apostolic nuncio to Colombia, Ettore Balestrero, at the airport's adjacent air base.^[132] Randoms attendee also greeted him at the airport with many waiving white handkerchiefs to symbolize morale for the peace process.^[133] The son of former Vice Presidential candidate Clara Rojas, who was born in 2004 when his mother was still under FARC captivity,^[133] gave him a dove.^[133] Many reported mobbed the Popemobile as it drove the Pope to the country's Vatican Embassy in Bogota and some tossed Francis flowers and held up children for him to kiss.^[133]

On 7 September, Francis traveled from the Vatican Embassy to the Presidential Palace to endorse the peace in a message to President Santos and Colombia's political, cultural and economic elite.^[134] He then arrived at the Bogata Cathedral where he led a mass which was attended by tens of thousands which encouraged reconciliation and the young to help lead the role in promoting forgiveness to heal country from its long struggle with the FARC rebellion;^[134] the Pope's crowd was hard reportedly hard to restraint as he arrived at Plaza Bolivar outside the Cathedral as well.^[134] At a message at the Bogota Archbishop's residence, Francis addressed Colombia's Bishops and encouraged them to play an important role in the peace process and uniting the local Catholic Church in a time of major division.^[134] Pope Francis later lead a Mass at Bogota's Simon Bolivar Park,^[134] which was once again attended by a crowd of tens of thousands and encouraged peace and national reconciliation.^[134] Later in the day, Francis returned to the Vatican Embassy and held a meeting with Cardinal Jorge Urosa, the Archbishop of Caracas, Venezuela,^[134] and the other Venezuelan Bishops as well;^[135] Cardinal Urosa described the current crisis in Venezuela as "very grave" and earlier in an interview with Bogota daily El Tiempo, the Venezuelan Cardinal described Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as "a dictator."^[134] The Pope also held a meeting with top cardinals and bishops from Latin America and the Caribbean to stress the vital role women play in the Catholic Church's survival,^[134] even noting the role his grandmother played in his own faith formation,^[134] while also insisting that the Church's ban on female clergy would remain intact.^[134]

On 8 September, Pope Francis produced a letter by former FARC leader Rodrigo Londono, better known by his nom de guerre of Timochenko,^[136] asking for forgiveness^[136][135] In his latter, Londono, who published the letter on the social media,^[136][135] stated that he hoped would convince Francis to understand that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia were always motivated by a sincere desire to stand up for the nation's poorest and most-excluded citizens.^[136][135] Later in the morning, Pope Francis arrived in Villavicencio.^[136][135] At Catama Field,^[137] tens of thousands of people gathered to see Pope Francis personally beatify two Colombian Catholic martyrs, Bishop Jesús Emilio Jaramillo Monsalve of Arauca and the "Martyr of Armero" Rev. Pedro María Ramírez Ramos,^[135] and lead a Mass encouraging peace,^[136][135] national reconciliation,^[136][135] and forgiveness.^[138] The Pope also visited Avalanche survivors in the town of Mocoa,^[139] located near Colombia's border with Ecuador, and also donned a blue striped poncho given to him by 10 local residents.^[139] Later, approximately 6,000 people filled Villavicencio's Las Malocas Park,^[140] located on the edge of the Amazon,^[136] where the Pope hosted a Homily promoting national reconciliation.^[140] At his Homily, the Pope heard personal testimony from at least two ex-FARC fighters and two Colombian conflict survivors,^[139] urged cooperation,^[139] and embraced victims and ex-fighters standing at the foot of the ruined torso of a statue of Christ that was rescued from a church destroyed in a 2002 mortar attack in Bojaya.^[139]

On 9 September, Pope Francis arrived in Medellin and consoled orphans, the poor and sick — while also demanding that priests and ordinary Colombians look beyond rigid church doctrine to care for sinners and welcome them in.^[141] Many cheered wildly and waved white handkerchiefs and Colombian flags as Francis zipped around the grounds in his Popemobile at an unusually fast clip to make up for lost time from a rain delay which forced him to cancel his planned helicopter flight and instead travel by land down the Andes, delaying the Mass by nearly an hour.^[141] During the Mass, which took place at Medillin's Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport and was held in both Latin and Spanish,^[142] Francis urged Colombia's conservative church to look beyond rigid rules and norms of church doctrine to go out and find sinners and minister to them.^[141] After the Mass, the Pope went to an orphanage to meet with abandoned children and the sick.^[141] He also had a meeting with priests, seminarians, nuns and their families in Medellin's La Macarena stadium before returning to Bogota for the night.^[141]

On 10 September, Pope Francis visited the port city of Cartagena,^[143] where a delay in his schedule occurred after swarms of well-wishers caused him to lose balance while hanging onto the popemobile's hip-high bar and resulted in a bruised, black left eye, bruised cheekbone and a cut on his eyebrow that dripped blood onto his white cassock and which also required bandaging.^[143] He blessed the first stones of two institutions that will be built: one will offer a home to homeless people,^[144] and the other will house work of the Talitha Kum, an international network of the consecrated life, that helps the victims of human trafficking.^[144] He then visited a woman in a poor neighborhood of Cartagena identified as Mrs. Lorenza,^[144] who reportedly welcomes people in need daily,^[144] providing them with food and affection,^{[144] [143] [145] [143]} After receiving medical treatment^[144] the Pope then visited the St. Peter Claver church, where he praised the 17th century missionary for having recognized the inherent dignity of slaves,^[143] recalling that the saint used to wait for the ships from Africa that brought the men and women forced into slavery to what was then the main center of commerce in slavery in the New World.^[144] He also denounced modern day human trafficking as a form of modern-day slavery as well.^[143][144] The Pope also called for an end to political violence in Venezuela and protection for the poor hurt by the nation's "grave" economic crisis.^[145] At approximately 7:30 pm on 10 September, Pope Francis left Colombia after an emotional farewell in which he was serenaded by the lively, traditional rhythms of the country's Carnival.^[145] Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was on hand in Cartagena on Sunday to accompany Francis on the red carpet to the airliner which carried him to Rome.^[145] Wrapping up his five-day visit, the pope made a final appeal to Colombians to reconcile under the peace deal signed last year between the government and the biggest rebel group aimed at ending to end Latin America's longest-running conflict. The Colombian President also pledged to Pope Francis that Colombia will keep its doors open to thousands of Venezuelan exiles even as it works to find a political solution to its neighbor's crisis.^[145] Santos also says he told the pope in their final encounter Sunday that "Colombia will always be a welcoming land" and that he also gave Francis a pin of a symbolic peace dove that Santos has worn since the start of negotiations with leftist rebels several years ago.^[145]

•  Myanmar and  Bangladesh (27 November to 2 December 2017)

On 2 October 2016, the pope stated that it was almost certain that he would undertake an apostolic visit to both India and Bangladesh sometime in 2017 as part of a tour to Asia yet hopes for a trip to India faded in 2017 since a visit could not be properly planned.^[146] Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario of Dhaka in Bangladesh announced that the dates for the pope's visit to Bangladesh and Myanmar would be from 23 November to 8 December, though he was cautious about confirming Myanmar as the second destination for the pope’s Asia swing.^[147]

The Holy See Press Office confirmed the visit would take place in a bulletin issued on 28 August 2017. His trip to Myanmar occurred between 27 and 30 November and was followed by a trip to neighboring Bangladesh between 30 November and 2 December.^[148] He was also the first Pope to visit Myanmar.^[148] The full programme was finalized on 10 October,^[149] and included trips to the capital city of Naypyidaw and Yangon^[149] while in Myanmar and Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, on the second leg of Pope Francis's trip.^[148] He held masses,^[149] visited various sites such as the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and the local Mother Teresa House,^[149] and met with various government officials of both countries,^[149] including Htin Kyaw,^[149] Aung San Suu Kyi,^[149] and Abdul Hamid,^[149] as well as with others such as Catholic clergy,^[149] young people,^[149] civic society members,^[149] and the Supreme Council of Buddhist monks.^[149]

2018

Act in the Patio de los Naranjos of the Palacio de La Moneda, Chile.

•  Chile and  Peru (15 to 21 January 2018)

The President of Chile Michelle Bachelet extended an invitation to the pope for a visit to the nation in 2016.^[150] On 19 June 2017, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis would visit Chile and Peru between 15 and 21 January 2018,^[151] beginning in Chile on 15 January, where he plans to visit Santiago, Temuco and Iquique.^[151] On 21 March 2017 the President of Peru Pedro Pablo Kuczynski sent a letter to Pope Francis inviting him for an official visit. ^[152]

In 19 June 2017 the President and the Chargé d'Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See in Peru Grzegorz Piotr Bielaszka announced that Francis plans to visit Peru in January 2018 and that the Minister of Labor Alfonso Grados would be responsible for the preparations.^[153] Francis will visit the cities of Lima, Trujillo and Puerto Maldonado. President Kuczynski announced that in September his will make the official invitation to the Pope in Vatican City.

On January 15, Francis arrived in Chile in the midst of a tense atmosphere due to the burning of various churches and the takeover of the Apostolic Nunciature by the National Association of Mortgage Debtors, who protested the staggering cost of the pope´s visit. As a way to calm the rising tensions and welcome the pope without any major incidents, outgoing Chilean president, Michelle Bachelet, asked for calm from pope's detractors.^[154]

During the second day of his visit, Pope Francis had lunch with representatives of the various Mapuche communities as a way to calm the anger of the marginalized ethnic group, which called for violent protests upon his arrival. During the lunch meeting, the Mapuche representatives asked Francis to recognize the “Mapuche genocide”, and also asked him to speak to government representatives as a way to obtain reparations for the numerous deaths of their members through history.^[154]

Another one of the big challenges that Francis faced in Chile was the low rate of credibility engulfing the Catholic Church due to the accusations of sexual abuse by clerics. In the middle of this crisis, Fernando Karadima, known as “the lord of hell” came to light, because he is considered the most harmful religious sexual offender in Chile. The pope came to the defense of bishop of Osorno Juan Barros, accused of covering up the sexual abuse allegations against Karadima. The pontiff said “the day someone brings forth proofs against Juan Barros I will speak. There is not one proof against him, it´s all a smear campaign ¿is it clear?”^[154][155] These words caused indignation for Karadima's victims.

On January 18, the pope arrived in Lima, Peru, to a different atmosphere. Prior to leaving Chile, the pope met with families of people who had been executed by former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet during the 1970s.^[156][157] In Peru, the pope was received by 4,000 members of the indigenous communities from the Amazon rainforest. In the middle of dances and displays of affection, Francis said that the people of the Amazon were threatened now more than ever, and questioned the conservationist policies that affect the Peruvian rainforest.^[154]

In Puerto Maldonado, the pope had lunch with members of indigenous communities. There, he asked for the indigenous communities to be recognized as partners instead of minorities. “all the efforts we make in order to regain the life of the peoples of the Amazon will always be too few”, he stated. The pope also called on the Peruvian people to put an end to practices that degrade women, and criticized the medical postures that promote the sterilization of indigenous women.^[154]

Finally, in the Government Palace in Lima, the pope criticized the “social virus” that affects Peru, corruption, during his speech. Francis said that corruption was the most damaging phenomenon to Latin American countries.^[154] On January 21, over a million people flocked to a Peruvian airbase outside Lima on Sunday to attend the final Mass held by Pope Francis before he returned to Rome.^[158]

•   Switzerland (21 June 2018)

It was reported on 27 February 2018 that the pope was "studying" the prospects of visiting Geneva to address the World Council of Churches (of which the Catholic Church is not a member of) to discuss peace initiatives for Syria. It was confirmed the following day that the visit would go ahead in June after invitations extended by the Swiss government and the W.C.C. itself were accepted.^{[159][160][161]} He then visited Geneva on 21 June and attended a ecumenical prayer service with various members of the WCC's 350 churches.^[162] His visit, which also included a meeting with WCC leaders as well as the Swiss President Alain Berset and other Swiss government officials,^[163] was the first papal visit to either Geneva or the WCC headquarters, known as the WCC Ecumenical Centre,^[164] since 1982 and was also the first papal visit to be centered around an WCC meeting.^{[165][166][167]} He concluded his visit with a mass for Catholics at Geneva's Palaexpo convention centre.^[168]

•  Ireland (25 to 26 August 2018)

Pope Francis chose Ireland to be the next host of the next World Meeting of Families scheduled for 2018, indicating his desire to visit around that time.^[169] It was confirmed in May 2016 that the pope mentioned his intention to visit Ireland for the event and reconfirmed on 29 November 2016 during a meeting between the pope and the head of state.^[170]

Pope Francis arrived in Dublin on August 25 and was greeted by the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo, Irish Tánaiste, or deputy head of Ireland’s government, Simon Coveney, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the head of the Diacastery of Laity, Family and Life who has organized the World Meeting of Families, the President of the Irish Episcopal Conference, Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin, and other members of the hierarchy in Ireland.^[171][172] After arriving, Pope Francis gave a speech at Dublin Castle in front of a crowd of hundreds politicians, civil servants, and others,^[173] where he praised the 20 years of peace between the Irish republicans and the United Kingdom which occurred as a result of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and also expressed hope that Ireland and Northern Ireland could find ways to overcome their remaining differences.^[173] He also met with Irish Taoiseach, or head of government, Leo Varadkar while at the Dublin Castle and also acknowledged and lamented the long history of sex abuse by Catholic clergy in Ireland.^[174][175] He also made a trip to the Presidential Palace to meet with Irish President Michael D. Higgins.^[176] The Pope made his way to silent prayer at the Candle of Innocence, which was dedicated in 2011 to honors victims of sex abuse,^[177] in St Mary's Pro-Cathedral in Dublin city centre and then made a surprise trip to the Capuchin Day Center for the homeless.^[178][177] He later held a one hour meeting with survivors of sex abuse after stating that young people had a right to be outraged at the response of senior figures in the Catholic church to the "repellent crimes."^[177] Thousands greeted the Pope as the Popemobile traveled throughout downtown Dublin^[178] and the first day of the Pope's visit concluded with a crowd of an estimated 82,500 attending the Festival of Families at Croke Park^[178] where various people, including country music singers,^[178] performed and gave testimony to the Pope.^[178]

On August 26, Pope Francis arrived in Mayo by plane and visited Knock Shrine,^[179] located in the Mayo village of Knock.^[180] He also addressed approximately pilgrims who visited the shrine and held a prayer service inside the shrine's chapel, where he prayed to the Virgin Mary for forgiveness for the sex abuse scandals.^[180] He then flew back to Dublin to celebrate Mass on Sunday at the Papal Cross in Phoenix Park, replicating Pope John Paul II's visit to Ireland in 1979.^[180] Before returning to Rome, Francis again met with Varadkar, who welcomed the Pope's call for action and forgiveness towards sex abuse.^[180] However, Varadkar also stating that Francis must act on his words as well.^[180]

•  Estonia,  Latvia, and  Lithuania (22 to 25 September 2018)

It was announced in November 2017 by the apostolic nuncio to Estonia that Pope Francis would travel to the nation in the autumn sometime, with September being provided as a possible date. It was further related a week after that the pope would also be visiting neighboring Latvia and Lithuania; he would travel to all three to celebrate the centenary of their independence. The official confirmation for the visit will be made, according to media reports, in December 2017.^[181][182] The visit to the Baltic states was confirmed in a Holy See press release on 9 March 2018.

Pope Francis arrived at the airport in Lithuania's capital of Vilnius on September 22, where he was welcomed by Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaite and other political and civilian representatives.^[183] He later spoke outside the Presidential palace, where he noted how both Nazi and Soviet occupations weakened religious tolerance in the country and honored "martyrs" who died during these occupations.^[184][185] He also called for unity between Catholics, Lutherans, and followers of Eastern Orthodox in the country.^[186] He also visited the Divine Mercy Shrine, which serves as a major pilgrimage destination for Poles from neighboring Poland, and held a prayer service there.^[187] On September 23, he visited Lithuana's second largest city, Kaunus. Speaking in the city's Santakos Park to a an estimated crowd of 100,000, the Pope honored the Jews who suffered oppression during the Nazi occupation between 1941 and 1944.^[188] Commemorating the Lithuanian Holocaust Memorial Day, the Pope condemned anti-Semitism which fueled Holocaust propaganda.^{[189][190][188][191]} He also paid tribute to Lithuanians who were deported to Siberian gulags or tortured and oppressed during five decades of Soviet occupation.^[188] He later returned to Vilnius to hold three-minutes of silent prayer at the Vilnius Ghetto's Holocaust memorial on the date which marked the 75th anniversary of the liquidation of Jews in the area and also laid flowers.^[192] He afterwards visited Vilnius' Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights, a Museum containing items and papers detailing the long history of Soviet oppression in Lithuania and which once served as headquarters for the local branch of the now defunct Soviet KGB, where he also spoke in the outside square to praise Lithuanians who stood up for their faith and described the country as a potential "beacon of hope."^[192]

On September 24, Pope Francis traveled to Latvia. Upon arriving at the airport in Latvia's capital of Riga, he met with Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis and the two travelled to the Presidential Palace.^[193][194] Commemorating Latvia's 100th anniversary of independence from Russian control,^[194] the Pope placed flowers at Latvia's Monument of Independence.^[195] At the Riga's main Lutheran Cathedral,^[196] he joined local Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox leaders at a music-filled ecumenical prayer and acknowledged the many trials Latvians endured during two Soviet occupations and the World War II-era occupation by Nazi Germany.^[195] Following this meeting,^[196] he held a prayer service in front of elderly Latvian Catholics who survived Nazi and Soviet occupations at Riga's main Catholic Cathedral, where he praised them for maintaining their faith during brutal occupations and called on them to use it to set an example.^[195] He repeated this message during a homily at the Mother of God Basilica in Aglona,^[195] which is considered to be Latvia's most important Catholic shrine,^[195] and also warned against isolationism.^[197]

On September 25, Pope Francis concluded his four-day trip to the Baltic nations by visiting Estonia. He arrived at the airport in the Estonian capital of Tallinn.^[198] Pope Francis met with President Kersti Kaljulaid, and the two gave a public address at the Rose Garden in the Tallin district of Kadriorg, where the Pope acknowledge how sex abuse scandals are driving people away from the church.^[199] Before leaving Estonia, Pope Francis held an outdoor mass in front of a crowd of over 10,000 at Tallinn's Freedom Square.^[200][201]

2013

• Lampedusa: 8 July 2013^[202]

In his first travel as pope, Francis visited the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa, where he prayed for illegal migrants who drowned trying to reach Europe. He threw a wreath of flowers into the sea, in a sign of mourning – before presiding over an open-air Mass.^[203][204]

• Assisi: 4 October 2013^[202]
• Cagliari: 22 September 2013^[202]

2014

• Cassano all'Jonio: 21 June 2014^[205]
• Campobasso and Isernia: 5 July 2014^[205]
• Caserta: 26 July 2014^[205]
• Military Memorial of Redipuglia: 13 September 2014^[205]

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I.

2015

• Pompeii and Naples: 21 March 2015^[206]
• Turin: 21 and 22 June 2015^[206]
• Prato and Florence: 10 November 2015^[206]

2016

• Assisi: 4 August 2016^[207]
• Assisi: 20 September 2016^[207]

2017

• Milan: 25 March 2017^[208]
• Carpi and Mirandola: 2 April 2017^[208]
• Genoa: 27 May 2017^[208]
• Bozzolo and Barbian: 20 June 2017^[208]
• Cesena and Bologna: 1 October 2017^[208]

2018

• Pietrelcina and San Giovanni Rotondo: 17 March 2018

Francis visited sites associated with Padre Pio, formally Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, on the 50th anniversary of his death.^[209]

• Alessano and Molfetta: 20 April 2018

Francis marked the 25th anniversary of the death of Tonino Bello, Bishop of Molfetta from 1982 to 1993, with a visit to his tomb in the town of his birth, Alessano, and a Mass in Molfetta.^[210]

• Nomadelfia and Loppiano: 10 May 2018

In Nomadelfia, near Grosseto, Francis met families who live communally and take in unwanted children in a fraternity founded in 1948 by Father Zeno Saltini. He handed over two children into their care. In Loppiano, he visited the original community of the Focolare Movement, where 850 people from 65 countries live together to demonstrate and promote international and intercultural understanding.^[211]

• Bari: 7 July 2018
• Piazza Armerina and Palermo: 15 September 2018

2019

•  Panama (23 to 27 January 2019)

Main article: World Youth Day 2019

Pope Francis is expected to visit Panama on the occasion of World Youth Day 2019 though the exact location for the event was not announced. The venue was announced on 31 July 2016 at the end of the previous event held in Kraków, Poland.

•  Romania (2019)

In May 2015, the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis invited the pope to visit the nation, which the pope agreed to do, although a date must be decided upon first before such a visit could go ahead.^[212] The visit shall most likely take place in 2018 to commemorate the centenary of the Great Union; the Romanian episcopate remained adamant in 2017 that the pope would most likely visit in late 2018, and would beatify seven martyrs of Communism while visiting.^[213] The pope later assured the Prime Minister on her visit to the Vatican on 11 May 2018 that he would visit in early 2019.

•  Mozambique (2019)

President Filipe Nyusi eagerly extended an invitation to Pope Francis to visit the nation in 2019. Pope Francis said, "If I'm alive, I will."^[214]

•  Japan (2019)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe invited the pontiff to visit Japan in his visit on 6 June 2013. The pope expressed his willingness to go there.^[215] It was reported on 30 July 2016 that the Holy See was considering a potential papal visit to Japan in 2017 while reporting that the government hoped that the pope would be able to visit mid-year to coincide with his potential visit to Indonesia.^[216]

•  Uganda (July 2019)

Pope Francis accepted an invitation by African bishops to revisit Uganda in July 2019 in addition to being invited by the Ugandan Episcopal Conference; an official state invitation is yet to be made but a letter was sent to the President's office informing him of the developments.^[217]