Montenegro’s president invites Pontiff to visit nation
October 05, 2026
Pope Leo XIV received President Jakov Milatović of Montenegro in an October 3 audience.
“I invited Pope Leo XIV to visit Montenegro,” President Milatović wrote in a social media post. “It would be the first visit by a Pope to our country and a historic event for Montenegro.”
“It is particularly significant that this year marks the 140th anniversary of the signing of the Concordat between Montenegro and the Holy See,” he added. “To commemorate these ties, I presented the Holy Father with a reproduction of the first page of the 1886 Concordat, a filigree piece inspired by Dobrota lace, and a specially crafted tennis racket featuring Montenegrin symbols.”
President Milatović subsequently met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations. The talks focused on Church-state relations and regional political concerns.
Located in Southeastern Europe, Montenegro (map), a nation of 600,000, is 79% Christian (71% Eastern Orthodox) and 18% Muslim.
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Further information:
- Instagram post (@jakov_milatovic, 10/4/26)
- Pope Leo XIV receives the President of Montenegro (Vatican News, 10/3/26)
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