Resuming the tradition of taking a summer vacation, Pope Leo XIV will spend his holiday in the relatively cooler climes of Castel Gandolfo, the historic papal retreat perched above Lake Albano, about an hour south of Rome.
Elected in May following the death of Pope Francis, the Pope is scheduled to arrive on Sunday for a two-week stay and is expected to return again in mid-August for several more days of rest and reflection.
The tradition, which remained unbroken until 2013, is now making a return to form.
Francis breaks tradition
The Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo, the historic papal summer retreat. (AP photo)
Soon after his election in 2013, Pope Francis made a conscious decision to depart from the tradition by not spending his summers in Castel Gandolfo. Known for his distaste for papal pomp, Francis instead chose to remain in his modest Vatican residence.
He visited Castel Gandolfo only thrice—twice to preside over Mass, and once to visit his predecessor Benedict XVI—all within the early months of his papacy. In 2015, he converted the Apostolic Palace into a museum, making it accessible to the public. Visitors can now explore its Renaissance gardens, view papal garments dating back to the 16th century, and take in sweeping views of Lake Albano from the papal bedroom.
A view of Lake Albano near Castel Gandolfo. (AP Photo)
“We did feel abandoned by Francis and the first few years were difficult,” said Maurizio Carosi, who runs a bar and gift shop with his son just opposite the palace, as per The Guardian. “But now we’ve moved on from a pilgrim town to a tourist one – so even if Francis didn’t come, he gave us a spiritual charge.”
Though the palace will remain a museum, Pope Leo and his Swiss Guards will reside in a newly renovated building within the palace grounds. Workers have been preparing for the pontiff’s arrival, restoring a tennis court so the athletic Leo can indulge his passion for the sport.
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Gardeners were also seen tending to the lawns on Friday morning, reported The Guardian.
People walk past the Papal or Apostolic Palace. (AP Photo)
Does the pope stop working during his vacation?
“Just because they’re on holiday, they don’t necessarily stop working,” said Tadeusz Rozmus, parish priest of San Tommaso da Villanova, the town church, according to The Guardian. “Pope John Paul II wrote encyclicals here and others have hosted heads of state. Castel Gandolfo is a much more pleasant place for them to reside in summer, escaping the heat of Rome.”
Pope Leo XIV will celebrate Mass on July 13 and 20 at local churches and lead the Angelus in Liberty Square on both days. (AP Photo)
During his vacation, public and private audiences will be suspended, but the pope will continue his spiritual duties such as celebrating Mass and leading the Angelus prayer in the local community, as per Vatican News. While the summer break is a period of rest, it is not a complete cessation of work or responsibilities. Instead, it serves as a quieter, more reflective time to prepare for leadership tasks.
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Carosi, a lifelong resident of the town, remembers past popes greeting people in the square. “When it comes to Pope Leo, his character is yet to be discovered,” he said, as per The Guardian. “But I know he’ll be happy here. He’ll have a view of the lake, will breathe the fresh air and will find himself among good people. Being an athletic pope, he will also have the possibility to enjoy long walks in the gardens.”
Customers have lunch at restaurants in the town of Castel Gandolfo. (AP Photo)
The pope’s summer homework
During his stay, Leo is scheduled to celebrate Mass on July 13 at the Pontifical Parish of Saint Thomas of Villanova and on July 20 at the Cathedral of Albano, leading the Angelus prayer in Liberty Square on both days. According to Vatican News, regular Vatican audiences are paused during this period to allow the Pope to focus on both relaxation and prayer.
The Pope will return to Castel Gandolfo in mid-August to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption, with Mass and the Angelus scheduled for August 15 and a final Angelus prayer on August 17 before returning to the Vatican.
Regular Vatican audiences are paused during the summer break. (AP Photo)
Leo signals continuity in anti-abuse reforms
Meanwhile, Pope Leo made a significant leadership decision. He appointed Bishop Thibault Verny of France as the new head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, the Vatican’s child protection advisory body.
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Verny succeeds Cardinal Seán O’Malley, the retired archbishop of Boston who had led the commission since its establishment by Pope Francis in 2014.
As reported by the AP, Verny, 59, is currently the bishop of Chambéry and has served on the commission since 2022. He leads the child protection council of the French bishops’ conference and has overseen annual audits of victim reception centres in France — part of reforms that followed a 2021 report estimating that 330,000 children were sexually abused by clergy over 70 years.
(With inputs from The Guardian, Vatican News, AP)
