Pope Leo XIV drew large crowds to Castel Gandolfo for his first summer Angelus at the papal residence 12 July, with pilgrims packing trains and buses from Rome to join the gathering.
Families from Slovakia, Colombia, Italy, Poland and beyond described the visit as a chance to receive the pope’s blessing in a more personal setting than St Peter’s Square.
In his reflection on the parable of the sower, Pope Leo said God never stops sowing the seed of his word, trusting the good that can grow in every heart despite human weakness.
He encouraged Catholics to use the summer months to renew their faith through scripture, silence and prayer, returning to daily life “renewed in body and spirit.”
After praying the Angelus, the pope greeted pilgrims from a small vehicle before appealing for peace amid conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine and elsewhere. He urged leaders to pursue dialogue and diplomacy, calling them the only path to a just and lasting peace.
“The Holy Father is a caring, open and listening pastor, really focused on the people, and not putting distance, whether you’re a lay person or priest,” Polish Father Michal Miszkurka said of the American pope.
“And here in Castel Gandolfo you can really see that lack of distance in a literal way!” he added.
