Pope Francis made history on Sunday as the first pontiff to visit Corsica, the French Mediterranean island, during a brief trip focused on faith and the region's cultural heritage.
Pope Francis has made a historic trip to Corsica, becoming the first pope to visit the French Mediterranean island. Landing in the capital city of Ajaccio on Sunday, the visit marks his 47th foreign trip since taking the papal office in 2013.
The pontiff's itinerary includes addressing a conference on popular religiosity across the Mediterranean region, a subject that reflects the deep cultural and religious traditions of the area. Corsica, known for its stunning mountainous landscapes and as the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, holds significant historical and cultural importance as the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean.
With an estimated 81.5% of its 356,000 residents identifying as Catholic, Corsica remains a deeply religious region. However, the island faces ongoing economic challenges, with approximately 20% of its population living below the poverty line.
During his visit, Pope Francis is expected to meet with Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo, who has led the Catholic Church in Corsica since 2021 and was elevated to cardinal by the pope in 2023. The trip continues Pope Francis’s focus on the Mediterranean region, following his previous visits to Malta, Lesbos, and Lampedusa, where he emphasized themes of migration, faith, and solidarity.
This unprecedented visit underlines the Vatican’s commitment to addressing both spiritual and social issues in the Mediterranean, a region that remains a key focus for the pontiff's papacy.
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