Pope Leo XIV to visit Sydney for International Eucharistic Congress in 2028

Pope Leo XIV has accepted an invitation to attend the 54th International Eucharistic Congress in Sydney in October 2028 and is expected to celebrate a Sunday mass at Royal Randwick for about half a million worshippers.

Pope Leo XIV is set to visit Sydney in 2028 to attend the 54th International Eucharistic Congress after accepting an invitation from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The visit would be the first papal tour of Australia in about two decades. Organisers expect a large Sunday mass at Royal Randwick during the October long weekend. It is not yet known whether the Pope will visit other Australian cities. Key details: - Pope Leo XIV accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to attend the 54th International Eucharistic Congress in Sydney. - The visit is expected to take place over the long weekend in October 2028. - Organisers expect the Pope to celebrate a Sunday mass at Royal Randwick for about half a million worshippers. - It is unknown at this stage whether he will visit other Australian cities. - Prime Minister Albanese met the Pope at his inauguration mass last May and lobbied for the visit alongside Australia's ambassador to the Holy See, Keith Pitt. - The last papal visit to Australia was Pope Benedict XVI in 2008 for World Youth Day, when he addressed more than 400,000 worshippers at Royal Randwick. Summary: Reportedly the visit would mark the first papal tour of Australia in about twenty years and could draw large public gatherings in Sydney. Exact itinerary details and whether the Pope will travel beyond Sydney remain undetermined at this time.