Pakistan, May 11 -- Pope Leo XIV made his first trip outside the Vatican on Saturday, visiting a Marian shrine in Genazzano and later stopping to pray at the tomb of his predecessor, Pope Francis. The visit marked a heartfelt start to his papacy just days after his election.

Arriving at Rome's St. Mary Major Basilica, Pope Leo waved to onlookers from a modest Volkswagen vehicle. As a few in the crowd shouted "Viva il papa," he slowly walked to Pope Francis' tomb, gently placed a white flower, and knelt in silent prayer.

Earlier in the day, Pope Leo had traveled to Genazzano, a small town east of Rome, to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel. The shrine holds special meaning for him, as it is run by the Augustinian order to which...