Anthony Albanese wants Pople Leo to come to Australia, and is hoping to make an EU trade deal

Ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration, Anthony Albanese and our Ambassador to the Holy See are lobbying for Pope Leo XIV to visit Australia again.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and our Ambassador to the Holy See, Keith Pitt, are lobbying for Pope Leo XIV to visit Australia again.

Mr Pitt told Sky News Sunday Agenda he has been working on trying to get the Pope to attend the International Eucharistic Congress 2028 in Sydney.

Mr Albanese and Mr Pitt are going to the inaugural mass today at St Peter’s Basilica.

“One of my jobs will be to be out there and lobbying hard to try and get the Pope to come to Australia in 2028 for the Eucharist Congress,” Mr Pitt said.

“There’ll be a lot of people there. It’s an incredible opportunity. It’s been a long time since a Pope has been in Australia.

“In fact that the PM will meet him today in the line up on the way out of the inauguration is our understanding.

“All of the world leaders will have that brief opportunity on the way through and I’m sure he will extend the invitation again.”

Aside from meeting the Pope, Mr Albanese is scheduled to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

Speaking in Rome, he said there is the potential to hold talks with some other world leaders including Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Mr Albanese also hopes to meet with some of his family members including his Italian-based half-brother Ruggiero Albanese who lives in the southeast of the country – he was invited to attend the inauguration.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaking in Rome ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration. Picture: Sophie Elsworth

Ruggiero Albanese, Anthony Albanese's half brother in the town of Barletta in Puglia. Picture: Ella Pellegrini

“I’m hopeful that some (family) will be able to pop up to Rome, I’m unable to go to where my family are in Barletta because of the schedule at this time but I’m hopeful that that will occur,” Mr Albanese said.

Mr Albanese arrived in Rome on Friday night (Saturday AEST) and on the weekend he visited Domus Australia, a pilgrim’s guesthouse for Australians in the Italian capital, and he met with church leaders including the Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher, Archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli and Australian ambassador to the Holy See Keith Pitt.

He said on social media that he is “honoured to be attending the Holy Father’s inaugural mass on Sunday”.

The inauguration begins at 10am Sunday (6pm AEST) and Mr Albanese said he will be inviting the pontiff to visit Australia in 2028 for the International Eucharistic Congress in Sydney which is expected to attended by tens of thousands of Catholics from around the world.

“As part of this visit we will be inviting his holiness Pope Leo to visit Australia at that time and give us that honour,” he said.

The first words of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to the world were "peace be with you all,” words that will resonate Australia’s five million Catholics.

This morning I visited Domus Australia here in Rome along with Archbishop Fisher and Archbishop Comensoli.

I am honoured to be… pic.twitter.com/aVinoUiHUz

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) May 17, 2025

Among the key issues he will be discussing during his visit including further trade talks on a deal with the European Union.

“We are up for a deal with the European Union, we support free and fair trade but not any deal at any price,” Mr Albanese said.

“We are up for a deal that is in Australia’s national interests, that last time around we weren’t able to achieve breakthroughs on agriculture.

“There’s been years of negotiation and I think the Europeans now know unless there’s a deal that’s in Australia’s national interests then we won’t sign up”.

Originally published as Anthony Albanese wants Pople Leo to come to Australia, and is hoping to make an EU trade deal