Pope Francis smiles at his Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024 / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Newsroom, Nov 23, 2024 / 09:00 am (CNA).

The Holy See on Saturday confirmed the rumors that Pope Francis will undertake a one-day apostolic journey to Corsica next month — marking the first-ever papal visit to the island most famous for being Napoleon Bonaparte’s birthplace.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed that the pope had accepted an invitation from French civil and Church authorities to visit Ajaccio, the island’s capital, on Dec. 15, 2024.

The visit will be Pope Francis’ 47th apostolic journey abroad and his third visit to French territory, following trips to Strasbourg in 2014 and Marseille in 2023.

On both occasions, the pontiff spoke about migration. This visit continues Pope Francis’ engagement with the Mediterranean region, following earlier trips to Lampedusa, Lesbos, and Malta, where he emphasized the Church’s call to solidarity with migrants and coastal communities.

Pope Francis will be welcomed in Corsica's capital, Ajaccio, by Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo, who was made a cardinal by Francis last year and leads a diocese where more than 80% of the island’s 340,000 inhabitants identify as Catholic.

The journey from Rome to Ajaccio's Napoleon Bonaparte Airport will take just over an hour — making this one of the pope’s shortest international trips, covering roughly 186 miles. Though technically a visit to French territory, the Mediterranean island lies closer to Italy than to mainland France.

The pontiff’s schedule includes the concluding session of a congress dedicated to Mediterranean popular religiosity in the morning, followed by an afternoon Mass at the historic Place d’Austerlitz — known locally as “U Casone.”

The pope will pray the Angelus with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, and seminarians at Ajaccio’s Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption.

The mountainous Mediterranean island is known for its distinctive religious traditions, including a deep devotion to the Virgin Mary. The island’s unofficial anthem, “Diu vi Salvi Regina,” is originally based on a rendition of Hail, Holy Queen.

Drawing from the Acts of the Apostles (10:38), the visit’s motto, “Jesus went about doing good,” reflects what Vatican sources describe as the fundamentally pastoral nature of the pope’s presence among the faithful.

The journey’s official logo prominently features Mary, venerated as Queen of Corsica, set against Mediterranean blues and incorporating traditional Christian symbolism — including a cross representing faith in Christ and a descending line suggesting the Holy Spirit’s presence.