This was a day of celebration for the lake town of Castel Gandolfo.
The last Pope who met crowds of the faithful here at the Sunday Angelus prayer was Benedict XVI in September 2012, 13 years ago.
Now Leo XIV is bringing back this tradition to the joy of the locals and numerous guests.
“There are more and more people coming to offer him a warm embrace. He too is among the crowd and is always very approachable. Even today, he demonstrated this by arriving in the mini car, passing through the streets of the historic center until reaching the parish to celebrate Holy Mass,” shared Francesco Melaragno, one restaurant owner in Castel Gandolfo.
The Mass took place at the Church of St. Thomas of Villanova, in the main square. The exterritorial pontifical church has a special relationship with the pope’s religious order.
At Mass, Pope Leo reflected on the Parable of the Good Samaritan, who the Holy Father explained “is really a figure of Jesus”, who “regarded humanity with compassion and did not walk by.”
Further, the Pope said, “Saint Augustine tells us that, as the Good Samaritan who came to our aid, Jesus ‘wanted to be known as our neighbour.’”
After the solemn Mass, Pope Leo joined the pilgrims in the square — leaving many speechless with excitement.
Daniel Brown, a pilgrim from Minnesota, USA, emphasized, “It's amazing, you know, that's the vicar of Christ. And it's just amazing to me to be here. I don't know, it's a lot of words to describe it. It's just amazing.”
During the Angelus prayer Pope Leo thanked the people and authorities of Castel Gandolfo for the very warm welcome they gave the Pope after all these years.
In his Angelus message, he reminded Christians that we gain eternal life by caring for others in service and love:
“In Christ, God made himself a neighbour to each and every man and woman. That is why each of us can and should become a neighbour to all whom we meet. Imitating the example of Jesus, the Saviour of the world, we too are called to bring consolation and hope, above all to those who are experiencing discouragement and disappointment.”
Faithful from all corners of the earth gathered joyfully to see the pope — among them groups of pilgrims, priests, families, and students.
Jonathan J. Sanford, PhD, President of the University of Dallas, USA, commented, “It was such a delight to see Pope Leo. We are so grateful that he's taken up the mantle of Leo XIII, addressing fundamental social challenges. He's a wonderful Pope. So our students are here, these are just some of them, for their summer program. All our students from the University of Dallas spend a semester here, just down the road from here.”
Next Sunday, Pope Leo will celebrate Mass in the cathedral of San Pancrazio in Albano—formerly Cardinal Prevost’s titular church—and lead the Angelus before returning to the Vatican.
Pope Leo will return once more this year, on August 15, to celebrate Mass for the Feast of the Assumption, following the tradition of his predecessors.
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Adapted by Jacob Stein
Born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1979, she is a linguist, translator, producer, writer, journalist, and a long-time foreign correspondent for Polish National Television TVP in Rome and the Vatican. She holds a master's degree from the University of Warsaw, doctoral studies from the Gregorian University in Rome, and post-master studies from the Diplomatic Academy in Warsaw. For 10 years, she was a translator for the Tribunal of the Roman Rota and the Apostolic Signature in the Vatican. She has produced over 20 documentaries about the Vatican and the papacy and authored four bestsellers about the Vatican and Rome. As the wife of a Pontifical Swiss Guard member, she lived for over 16 years in Vatican City, a neighbor to the last three popes. She is the mother of two teenage daughters and has been the EWTN Vatican correspondent in Rome since May 2024.
