Pope Leo XIV visits San Marino, praises its traditions
Pontiff visits world's oldest republic, warns against systems prioritizing power over people.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Camera IconVisiting San Marino, the Pope praised a society "built on respect for one's own freedom". (AP PHOTO) Credit: AAP
Photograph: PerthNow (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Pope Leo XIV visited San Marino, the world's oldest republic, on 22 August 2026.
- He praised the nation's centuries-old traditions of liberty, mutual respect, and community.
- The Pope warned against political and economic systems that place power above the human person.
- He also spoke at a Catholic gathering in Rimini, Italy.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 32 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 5 of the 37 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
61/100
Hype
20/100
37 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
Only 5 of the 32 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Pope Leo XIV visited San Marino, the world's oldest republic, on 22 August 2026. He praised the nation's traditions, which he said are rooted in liberty, mutual respect, and community. San Marino is a nation of approximately 35,000 people entirely surrounded by Italy. The Pope cautioned against political and economic systems that prioritise power over the human person. He also spoke at a Catholic gathering in Rimini, Italy.
Coverage comparison
Pope Leo XIV visited San Marino, the world's oldest republic, on 22 August 2026. He praised the nation's centuries-old republican traditions, which he said are rooted in liberty, mutual respect, and community. San Marino, a nation of about 35,000 people, is completely surrounded by Italy. The Pope warned against political and economic systems that place power above the human person. He also spoke at a Catholic gathering in Rimini, Italy.
Omissions
None of the right-rated digests mention the 2021 referendum in San Marino that legalised abortion. The Associated Press report, carried by left and centre outlets, noted this referendum and the Pope's use of language concerning human dignity from conception to natural death, which is commonly associated with opposition to abortion.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 6 times, most recently on 22 Aug 2026, 16:30, and will add the sides that appear.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.
Former Bishop of Broome Christopher Saunders arrives at the West Australian District Court in Perth, Tuesday, Aug.11, 2026. (Aaron Bunch/AAP Image via AAP)
Associated Press News — embedded from source
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
17 rated outlets
- Reports from the left led on Pope Leo XIV's praise for San Marino's traditions of freedom and civic responsibility. They noted his warning against systems that place power above the human person. The Associated Press report, carried by multiple outlets, also detailed the Pope's address at a Catholic gathering in Rimini, Italy, where he spoke about war, polarization, and social division, urging dialogue and friendship. Some reports mentioned the Pope's call for public life to uphold human dignity from conception to natural death, language associated with opposition to abortion and euthanasia. The Associated Press report noted that San Marino voters approved a referendum legalising abortion in 2021, overturning a ban.
Centre
10 rated outlets
- Centrist reports focused on Pope Leo XIV's praise for San Marino as a model of freedom and the common good. They highlighted his remarks on the nation's centuries-old republican traditions and his warning against political and economic systems that elevate power over the human person. Several reports mentioned the Pope's visit to San Marino and his address to local authorities. Some digests noted the Pope's call for public life to uphold human dignity, a phrase often used in discussions about abortion and euthanasia. The Associated Press report, carried by several centre-rated outlets, also included details of the Pope's speech in Rimini, Italy.
Right
5 rated outlets
- Right-rated reports highlighted Pope Leo XIV's praise for San Marino as a model of freedom and the common good. They noted his commendation of the republic's centuries-old traditions and his warning against political and economic systems that place power above the human person. The Vatican News report stated the Pope praised San Marino for offering an example of 'care of the human person'. Some reports mentioned the Pope's call for public life to uphold human dignity 'from conception to natural death', language commonly used by Catholic leaders when referring to opposition to abortion and euthanasia.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Pope Leo XIV visits San Marino, praises its traditions?
- Of the 32 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 53% are rated left, 31% are rated centre, 16% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 37. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Pope Leo XIV visits San Marino, praises its traditions left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 32 rated outlets on this story, 53% are rated left, 31% are rated centre, 16% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Pope Leo XIV visits San Marino, praises its traditions biased?
- Pope Leo XIV visits San Marino, praises its traditions is one event reported by 37 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Pope Leo XIV visits San Marino, praises its traditions?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Pope Leo XIV visits San Marino, praises its traditions?
- 37 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- When did Pope Leo XIV visit San Marino?
- Pope Leo XIV visited San Marino on 22 August 2026. He addressed local authorities during his one-day visit to the world's oldest surviving republic.
- What did Pope Leo XIV praise about San Marino?
- The Pope praised San Marino's centuries-old republican traditions, which he said are rooted in liberty, mutual respect, and community. He described the republic as a model of political freedom and civic responsibility.
- What warning did Pope Leo XIV issue?
- Pope Leo XIV warned against political and economic systems that place power above the human person. He also spoke about the threats of violence, social fragmentation, and ideologies that put self-interest ahead of the common good.
Read it at the source
37 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
17- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens The Tribune-Democrat in a new tab)
The Tribune-Democrat — is The Tribune-Democrat biased? Our profile of this outlet
- San Marino a model of freedom and common good: Pope (opens illawarramercury.com.au in a new tab)
illawarramercury.com.au — is illawarramercury.com.au biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- San Marino a model of freedom and common good: Pope (opens The Border Mail in a new tab)
The Border Mail — is The Border Mail biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pope praises tiny country as model of freedom and civic responsibility (opens Breaking News in a new tab)
Breaking News — is Breaking News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- San Marino a model of freedom and common good: Pope (opens Newcastle Herald in a new tab)
Newcastle Herald — is Newcastle Herald biased? Our profile of this outlet
- San Marino a model of freedom and common good: Pope (opens The Canberra Times in a new tab)
The Canberra Times — is The Canberra Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens The Toronto Star in a new tab)
The Toronto Star — is The Toronto Star biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens The Seattle Times in a new tab)
The Seattle Times — is The Seattle Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 9 more
- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens SooLeader.com in a new tab)
SooLeader.com — is SooLeader.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens Oskaloosa Herald in a new tab)
Oskaloosa Herald — is Oskaloosa Herald biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens Associated Press News in a new tab)
Associated Press News — is Associated Press News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pope Leo on His Visit to San Marino: "Humanitarian Law Is Trampled on Today" (opens La Stampa in a new tab)
- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens NiagaraFallsReview.ca in a new tab)
NiagaraFallsReview.ca — is NiagaraFallsReview.ca biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens The Record in a new tab)
The Record — is The Record biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens Durango Herald in a new tab)
Durango Herald — is Durango Herald biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
10- San Marino a model of freedom and common good: Pope (opens PerthNow in a new tab)
PerthNow — is PerthNow biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens Washington Top News in a new tab)
Washington Top News — is Washington Top News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens mykxlg.com in a new tab)
mykxlg.com — is mykxlg.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens Bozeman Daily Chronicle in a new tab)
Bozeman Daily Chronicle — is Bozeman Daily Chronicle biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens Joplin Globe in a new tab)
Joplin Globe — is Joplin Globe biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens WFMZ in a new tab)
- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens Cecil Daily in a new tab)
Cecil Daily — is Cecil Daily biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens WKMG in a new tab)
Right
5- San Marino a model of freedom and common good: Pope (opens The West Australian in a new tab)
The West Australian — is The West Australian biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Pope Leo praises San Marino as model of freedom and common good (opens Madison Courier in a new tab)
Madison Courier — is Madison Courier biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pope Leo: San Marino offers world an example of ‘care of human person’ (opens Vatican News in a new tab)
Vatican News — is Vatican News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mattarella to Pope Leo His Closeness to States Instills Hope in the Future (opens Il Tempo in a new tab)
- Pope Leo XIV Makes a Pastoral Journey to the Oldest Republic in the World, San Marino (opens El Mundo in a new tab)
Not rated
5- "A Special Occasion": the Inhabitants of San Marino Welcome the Pope (opens Quotidiano Nazionale in a new tab)
Quotidiano Nazionale — is Quotidiano Nazionale biased? Our profile of this outlet
- In San Marino, Leo XIV Exalts Freedoms and Defense of Life From Conception (opens Gazeta Do Povo in a new tab)
Gazeta Do Povo — is Gazeta Do Povo biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Leo XIV Praises San Marino as a Model of Freedom and the Common Good (opens Independent Español in a new tab)
Independent Español — is Independent Español biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Leo XIV in San Marino: Freedom Means Responsibility, Dialogue and Care for Man (opens Misyjne.pl in a new tab)
Misyjne.pl — is Misyjne.pl biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pope to St. Marino. Mattarella's Message: 'Infuses Hope' (opens Agi.it in a new tab)
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