Tradition holds that the Catholic faith was brought to Monaco by Saint Devota. Legend aside, the first remnants of the Catholic Church in the Principality were found in the Vallon des Gaumates, next to Port Hercule.
“Portus Herculis Monœci is thought to have miraculously received the body of Devota, a young Christian who died a martyr in Corsica. Her remains, buried in the Vallon des Gaumates, are said to have inspired a following at a chapel, built on the site of the ancient temple dedicated to Hercules with the aim of Christianising the area”, says Thomas Fouilleron in his work “Histoire de Monaco” (in French).
In the 17th century, Saint Devota became the protector of the Grimaldis and, by extension, of all Monegasques, ships and foreigners passing through. Her image is displayed in all places of worship in the Principality as well as on the back of certain coins. On the feast day of Saint Devota, celebrated every year on 27 January, a ship is burnt.
Another religious symbol: two armed Franciscan monks appear on Grimaldi coats of arms.
One is François Grimaldi, or Malizia (‘malice’), who in 1297 successfully seized the fortress of Monaco on behalf of his cousin Rainier. He is said to have entered the palace dressed in a monk’s habit to ask for hospitality.
In the Middle Ages, Monaco showed unwavering loyalty to the Pope and at his request took part in the Crusades against the Saracens and Moors of Spain.
An edict of Pope Innocent granted the perpetual right to erect a chapel on the Rock and authorised the construction inside the Castle of the Palatine chapel for Genoese citizens living in Monaco or passing through.
The first Monegasque sovereign to visit the Pope was John I and his wife Pomelinne in 1450, during a visit to Rome for the Jubilee. These official visits continue to this day. Prince Albert II has met with Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis at the Vatican.
Monaco and the Vatican have signed two conventions. The first, signed in 1887, authorises the establishment of a diocese by Rome in the Principality. The second, signed in 1981, transformed the diocese into an archdiocese. Monseigneur Dominique-Marie David became Archbishop of Monaco on 21 January 2020.
Article 9 of Monaco’s Constitution establishes Catholicism as the official religion of the Principality. It is the religion of the majority of the population. Freedom of worship is also guaranteed by the Constitution.
There are several congregations and Brotherhoods of Penitents in Monaco, along with different orders of knighthood (of Malta, the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, and Pontifical equestrian orders). Among Monaco’s places of worship, the Cathedral on the Rock is emblematic. A Te deum is celebrated there every year in the presence of the princely family during the prince’s feast. It hosted the religious wedding of Rainier III and Grace Kelly on 19 April 1956 in the presence of 600 guests. The “wedding of the century” was broadcast live around the world by the Eurovision television network and attracted an audience of 30 million people.
The creation of the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival established a new tradition in the Principality. At the first festival in 1974, an ecumenical mass was held under the big top in the presence of Prince Rainier III and the Royal Family. This annual event is now the largest annual Christian gathering on the Côte d’Azur.
Find out more:
https://diocese.mc
