(ZENIT News / Canberra, 05.14.2025).- Australia is turning its gaze toward the Vatican, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese formally invited newly elected Pope Leo XIV to attend the International Eucharistic Congress in Sydney in 2028—a potential homecoming of sorts for a pontiff with deep personal ties to the country.
In a statement released on May 9, Albanese extended warm congratulations to Pope Leo XIV, formerly Robert Francis Prevost OSA, on his election as the 267th successor of St. Peter, emphasizing Australia’s longstanding relationship with the Holy See.
“We look forward to strengthening our ties with the Vatican under Pope Leo XIV’s leadership,” said the prime minister, noting the special significance of hosting such a major Catholic event in Sydney. “It would be an honor to welcome His Holiness to our country again.”
While the official visit remains unconfirmed, Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney expressed hopeful anticipation. “We earnestly pray that the Holy Father will join us in 2028 for the Eucharistic Congress,” Fisher said. “It would be a tremendous joy to have him among us once more.”
For Australians, particularly the Catholic community, the invitation carries emotional resonance. Before his election to the papacy, Pope Leo XIV had a long-standing relationship with Australia, making frequent visits between 2001 and 2013 as Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine. During that time, he built a quiet legacy of pastoral presence, spiritual leadership, and personal connection.
His 2008 visit to Sydney coincided with Pope Benedict XVI’s arrival for World Youth Day, a milestone event that drew hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the globe. While not yet a household name, then-Father Prevost celebrated Mass on Sydney’s Collaroy Beach and spent meaningful time with Australian communities—interactions that have taken on new significance in light of his election.
“His humility, his calm spirit, and his way of being present with people stood out even then,” recalled Margaret McElhone, a religious education teacher at St Augustine’s College in Brookvale, where the future pope visited twice in 2008 and 2009. “There was no pretension. He listened. He stayed. And we remembered him.”
Father Peter Jones, Prior Provincial of the Augustinians in Australia and a close friend of the Pope for four decades, echoed the sentiment in an interview with Nine. “His election may have surprised the world, but not those who’ve known him,” Jones said. “He’s always been the same person—warm, grounded, deeply concerned about human dignity.”
While Pope Leo XIV has only recently assumed the weighty mantle of the papacy, the invitation to Sydney hints at his growing global significance—and Australia’s hope to once again become a backdrop for a meaningful chapter in the Catholic Church’s modern journey.
The 2028 International Eucharistic Congress will be the first hosted in the Southern Hemisphere in decades, and it is expected to draw participants from across the world for prayer, celebration, and theological dialogue centered on the Eucharist. Should Pope Leo XIV accept the invitation, his presence would not only mark a significant diplomatic visit but also underscore the spiritual and emotional threads that tie him to Australian soil.
In the meantime, Archbishop Fisher urged Catholics and all people of goodwill to support the new pope through prayer. “He carries a great responsibility,” Fisher said. “And we carry the privilege of supporting him in spirit.”
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