Pope Leo XIV, who was recently inaugurated as the pope of the Catholic Church, has rekindled the long-standing papal tradition of a summer retreat by traveling to Castel Gandolfo for a six-week vacation—his first real respite since taking office on May 8.
This quaint hill town, sitting just south of Rome overlooking Lake Albano, hadn’t had a pope in residence since Pope Francis chose to stay at the Vatican over the summer. The locals are welcoming back the pope to the papal villa with the hopes that his return will bring spiritual nourishment as well as an economic stimulus.
Pope Leo, being a humble and unpretentious man, is not likely to waste these weeks lounging around. In his first sermon, he instructed cardinals that Church leadership should be based on humility, calling them to ‘make oneself small’ so Christ is the only one who stands out.
Although he’ll be out of the public eye, Leo isn’t likely to sit idle. Colleagues say he’s a meticulous, detail-driven leader who demands to read full reports rather than condensed summaries. This retreat will most likely be a time for him to reflect and think through some of the Vatican’s most critical issues.
Critical Issues Await at Vatican
During this time away from public appearances, the pope is supposed to concentrate on a series of important issues. These include making crucial Vatican appointments, most notably his choice to head the office in charge of choosing bishops, as well as evaluating a new Secretary of State. Financial issues are also in the offing with the Vatican facing a structural deficit as well as a significant pension shortfall.
He’ll also be making difficult legal and moral issues. Among them are high-profile abuse cases such as that of the Rev. Marko Rupnik, and deciding how to respond to the fallout from the Vatican’s recent financial trial of Cardinal Angelo Becciu.
Other challenges loom ahead, such as mending splits over the Latin Mass, an area many expect Leo to bring together and pondering the Church’s voice in leading society through advancements such as artificial intelligence.
Travel arrangements would also be a consideration, with invites already issued by US, Ukraine, Argentine, and Turkish leaders.