POMPEII, Italy — Pope Leo XIV prayed Friday for political leaders to end the “fratricidal hatred” in the world, as he spent the anniversary of his election in the ancient city of Pompeii commemorating a feast day that is particularly important to him and coincided last year with the start of his pontificate. Leo traveled by helicopter to Pompeii, near Naples, for a daylong visit to mark the May 8 feast of Our Lady of Pompeii. The date marks the day in 1876, when the cornerstone for a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Pompeii was laid. The sanctuary is located near the excavations of the city that was buried in A.D. 79, when Mount Vesuvius erupted and spewed volcanic ash and gas across the region. While the Pompeii archaeological site draws millions of tourists each year, the sanctuary attracts Catholic pilgrims who are particularly devoted to praying the rosary. “What a beautiful day, how many blessings the Lord wanted to give to all of us,” Leo told throngs of faithful inside the sanctuary before Mass. “I feel I am the first blessed to be able to come here to the sanct
