“We don’t preach to wallets, but to souls!”

Does Monaco correspond to the sumptuous image we have of it?

There is of course the cliché about the sociology of Monaco, but there is also reality. It is indeed a very privileged place, particularly in terms of security. The city is clean, well maintained, with activities offered by the state, but there is not a general impression of opulence.

The “bling-bling” is limited to the surroundings of the casino and the port where the yachts are docked. In fact, those who frequent these places are generally tourists who are just passing through Monaco.

Furthermore, we must not forget that there are more billionaires in Paris than in the Principality and that the sociological level is much higher in many parishes of large French cities.

How do we conduct pastoral care in the city often seen as one of excess?

We do not preach to wallets, but to souls! When I speak to someone, I don’t know if they live in a duplex worth several tens of millions of euros or a maid’s room. This is not a justification, it is reality.

Monaco is a cosmopolitan city, made up of very different people. To the few thousand Monegasques and a few tens of thousands of residents, we must add all those who come every day from neighboring towns. Among them, there are dozens of different nationalities, which requires a polyglot pastoral ministry. Our mission is to support the Christian life of everyone.

In your opinion, why did Leo XIV agree to come to Monaco?

The Pope is coming to visit a country which for some might seem unfriendly, but I think he does not share our clichés and has a much more pragmatic outlook. Monaco is a Catholic country and systematic criticism is not the only relationship one can have with it.

The Rock can be a good place to launch an ethical reflection on the economy, especially since the pope is in the tradition of Leo XIII, the founder of the modern version of the social doctrine. Monaco would thus be a suitable place for a discourse on social justice, which is also a concern of the country’s authorities.

Finally, Monaco being one of the last European countries where Catholicism has the status of state religion, Leo XIV could take the opportunity to open up a reflection on the question of the meaning of an official religion.