Pope Leo delivers Angelus Address & Prayer for the Assumption in Castel Gandolfo 08.15.2026

 

Pope Leo blesses the faithful gathered at Castel Gandolfo for the Angelus on the Solemnity of the Assumption  (@VATICAN MEDIA)

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• Pope Leo XIV
• virgin mary
• Angelus
• Castel Gandolfo

Pope at Angelus: Mary’s Assumption reveals our eternal destiny

Pope Leo XIV reflects on how Mary’s Assumption reveals humanity’s destiny of eternal life, and prays for those suffering in the Holy Land, Ukraine, Russia and earthquake-stricken Colombia.

By Vatican News

Pope Leo marked the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary by inviting the faithful to contemplate their ultimate destiny: the fullness of eternal life in God.

Addressing pilgrims gathered in Castel Gandolfo for his midday Angelus on Saturday, the Pope described the Assumption as a feast of great importance both for Catholic theology and for popular devotion.

He noted that the Solemnity is particularly cherished in communities whose cathedrals or parish churches are dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption.

The Dormition of the Mother of God

Pope Leo reflected on two principal ways in which artists have depicted the mystery of the Assumption over the centuries.

The first and oldest tradition portrays the Dormition, or "falling asleep", of the Mother of God. In these images, Mary lies upon a catafalque, surrounded by the Apostles in prayer, while the risen Jesus holds her soul in His arms like a newborn child.

The image shows Christ coming to take His Mother into the glory of heaven, the Pope explained, fulfilling for her the promise He made to His disciples: "I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also".

This ancient iconography highlights a central truth of the Christian faith: it is Christ, who died and rose again, who leads humanity towards the destiny for which it was created - eternal life.

Generations of believers have contemplated this mystery in icons of the Dormition, Pope Leo said, pointing in particular to the great apse mosaic in Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

Assumed body and soul

A second artistic tradition, which developed later in the West, depicts Mary standing in heaven, surrounded by light, angels and saints.

At the centre is the glorified body of the Virgin, evoking the vision from the Book of Revelation of "a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars".

Some artists brought the two traditions together, portraying Mary in heavenly glory above an empty tomb filled with colourful flowers, as the Apostles look upwards.

This second model, the Pope explained, emphasises that Mary was assumed into heaven both body and soul, "in the entirety of her person".

The woman who gave flesh and blood to the Incarnate Word and followed Jesus to the point of complete union in His sacrifice of love was drawn by Him forever into glory.

An endless celebration

Pope Leo concluded by stressing that the Assumption also points towards the destiny awaiting all the faithful.

"The fullness of life, which we joyfully admire today in Mary, awaits us as well at the end of time", he said.

Quoting Saint Paul, the Pope recalled that the risen Christ will transform humanity’s lowly bodies to be like His glorious body, clothing what is perishable with incorruptibility and what is mortal with immortality.

Then, he said, with human flesh transformed by the Redeemer’s love, the faithful will live forever "in an endless celebration".

"Let us praise the Lord", Pope Leo concluded, "who has done great things in His and our Most Holy Mother!"

Prayers for peace and earthquake victims

Following the Angelus, Pope Leo entrusted to Mary’s intercession all those in need of hope and consolation. He prayed especially for the peoples of the Holy Land, Ukraine and Russia, as well as for Christians suffering discrimination or persecution.

The Pope also renewed his prayers for the people of Colombia affected by the recent earthquake, inviting everyone to invoke together: “Holy Mary, pray for us!”

Sunday Papal Angelus from Castel Gandolfo 07.19.2026

 

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• Pope Leo XIV
• Angelus
• Castel Gandolfo

Pope at Angelus: God's Kingdom grows quietly through love, not force

During his Angelus address, Pope Leo says God's Kingdom grows quietly through humility, patience and love rather than power, urging Christians to trust in His hidden work and become "small seeds of the Gospel" in the world.

By Vatican News

Pope Leo urged Christians to reject the temptation to seek spectacular displays of God's power, reminding the faithful that the Kingdom of God grows quietly and patiently, like a tiny seed or a little yeast working unseen.

Addressing pilgrims gathered for the Sunday Angelus in Castel Gandolfo , the Pope reflected on three parables from Saint Matthew's Gospel - the wheat and the weeds, the mustard seed, and the yeast - which, he said, reveal the way God acts in history and in the lives of men and women.

Read the full text of the Pope's address on Sunday

Rather than imposing Himself by force or arriving in triumph, the Pope said, God chooses "smallness" as the sign of His discreet and patient love.

"He leaves us free to accept or reject Him," Pope Leo said, noting that God's love makes its presence felt even "among the weeds," works invisibly like the smallest of seeds, and transforms the world silently, like yeast in dough.

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19/07/2026

Pope Leo: May we not forget those who suffer and die due to war

The Pope acknowledged that many people expect God to intervene dramatically, immediately eliminating evil from the world. Such expectations, he warned, can also shape an unhealthy vision of the Christian life and of the Church.

Instead, he said, Christians are called to recognize that the Kingdom grows even amid the presence of evil. This requires learning to discern the good that continues to emerge despite darkness, resisting the temptation to make hasty judgments, and patiently accompanying the gradual work of God's grace.

The Kingdom, he continued, often appears in the ordinary moments of daily life, growing unnoticed yet constantly at work. Even when God seems absent, the Pope assured the faithful, He is always present and His love is always ready to help.

Pope Leo went on to say that God's way of acting must also become the way Christians live, both personally and as members of the Church.

He encouraged believers to adopt what he described as a "Gospel-centered approach," avoiding arrogance, the desire to dominate others, or the use of power to impose the faith. Instead, Christians should place their trust in God's quiet work.

Quoting the future Pope Benedict XVI, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Leo said Christians are called to embrace "the logic of the seed," which is "not that of success and greatness, but that of making ourselves small and serving others."

In this way, he concluded, Christians can become "small seeds of the Gospel" and "leavens of love" capable of transforming the world from within.

Concluding his reflection, Pope Leo entrusted the faithful to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, asking her, who welcomed the seed of God's Word in humility, to sustain Christians on their journey of faith.

Sunday Angelus with Pope Leo XIV from Castel Gandolfo

 

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• Pope Leo XIV
• Angelus
• Gospel

Pope Leo XIV: God never ceases to believe in us

At the Angelus in Castel Gandolfo, where he is taking a summer break, Pope Leo XIV reflects on the Parable of the Sower, reminding Christians that God's Word has the power to transform every heart and encouraging the faithful to make space this summer for silence, prayer, and meditation on Scripture.

By Linda Bordoni

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Pope: May the winds of war not extinguish hope and return to dialogue

Reflecting on the Gospel parable of the Sower during Sunday's Angelus prayer, Pope Leo XIV said God never tires of sowing the seed of His Word in the human heart, because He knows that "the power of his love is stronger than our weakness."

Addressing pilgrims gathered in Castel Gandolfo on the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Pope explained that Saint Matthew's account of the Parable of the Sower reveals "the generosity and trust with which God sows his Word in our hearts and his power in us."

Read the full text of the Pope's Angelus address

At the centre of that mystery, he said, is Christ Himself.

"Jesus himself, the Word made flesh, who gave his life for our salvation, is the seed that the Father continues to sow throughout the world so that, by dying, he may bear much fruit," he explained.

The Pope acknowledged that God's Word does not always find welcoming hearts. At times, he said, it encounters "hard and unresponsive soil," or hearts distracted like "the beaten path, the rocky ground, or the thorny bushes." Yet there are also moments when it falls on "receptive and fertile ground," where "miracles of love are set in motion that have the power to transform everything."

It is for this reason, he continued, that "the Father never ceases to sow, because he knows that the power of his love is stronger than our weakness."

God sees the good within us

Quoting Saint John Chrysostom, Pope Leo reflected on the apparent paradox of sowing seed where it seems unlikely to grow. While such an action would make little sense in agriculture, he noted, God works differently, since even "rocky ground may be transformed into fertile soil."

The Pope said this is because God's confidence in humanity is rooted in His intimate knowledge of every person. "God's generosity towards us is not naïve but wise," he said. "He sees within us the potential of a good that, at times, we ourselves might fail to recognise."

For that reason, he added, "the Lord, who knows the soil of our hearts better than we, never ceases to believe in us—in who we are and in who we can become, day by day, if we entrust ourselves to him in faith."

Bearing the fruits of the Spirit

When God's Word is welcomed with humility and openness, the Pope said, it bears the fruits of the Holy Spirit. And recalling Saint Paul's Letter to the Galatians, he listed those fruits as "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

"How greatly our world stands in need of these fruits," he said, "to be filled with them and transformed by them!"

A summer invitation

Referring to the current summer season, Pope Leo encouraged Christians to make good use of time for rest by nurturing their spiritual lives.

"Let us therefore resolve, especially during these summer days of vacation, to make room for listening to, reading, and meditating on the Word of God," he said, while also fostering "meaningful moments of silence and prayer."

Such moments, he explained, renew both body and spirit, preparing Christians to return to their daily lives "ready to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel and ever more capable of contributing to the growth of the Kingdom of God."

Pope Leo XIV is unafraid and clear in his messaging; proclaim the Gospel, preach peace

 

File photo of Pope Leo XIV speaking to journalists at Castel Gandolfo 

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• Pope Leo XIV
• Castel Gandolfo
• United States
• nuclear
• peace

Pope: ‘If someone criticizes me for proclaiming the Gospel, let him do so truthfully’

As he departs from Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV reaffirms that the Church has consistently spoken out against nuclear weapons, adding that anyone who wishes to criticize him should do so based on truth.

Vatican News

Before he returned to Rome from Castel Gandolfo on Tuesday evening, Pope Leo XIV spoke briefly to reporters and responded to the latest critical remarks made about him by US President Donald Trump.

“The mission of the Church is to proclaim the Gospel, to preach peace,” he said. “If someone wants to criticize me for proclaiming the Gospel, let him do so truthfully.”

Speaking outside Villa Barberini, his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo recalled that the Church has consistently spoken against nuclear weapons.

“For years, the Church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt on that point,” the Pope said, responding to President Trump’s claim that the Pope considers it acceptable for Iran to possess nuclear weapons, thereby placing all Catholics at risk.

“I simply hope to be listened to because of the value of the word of God,” Pope Leo XIV stressed, reiterating that he has spoken clearly “from the first moment I was elected, and now we are close to the anniversary. I said: ‘Peace be with you’.”

Regarding his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, scheduled for Thursday, May 7, the Pope expressed his hope that it would be “a good dialogue,” approached “with trust and openness,” so as “to understand one another well.”

“I think the issues he is coming for are not today’s issues. We shall see,” Pope Leo added, again referring to the comments made by the US President.

Pope Leo XIV spends time witjh school children at Christmas concert

 

Pope Leo and the children at the Paul VI Primary School in Castel Gandolfo 

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• Pope Leo XIV
• christmas
• music
• peace
• children

Pope to school children: At Christmas, build peace and unity

Pope Leo XIV joins children at a school Christmas concert in Castel Gandolfo and invites those present to communicate to all the gift of love at Christmas.

By Tiziana Campisi

A special visit marked the eleventh edition of the Christmas concert InCanto, performed by the pupils of the Pontifical Paul VI School of Castel Gandolfo. Among those attending this afternoon was Pope Leo XIV. After leaving the nearby Villa Barberini, where he regularly stays on Tuesdays, the Pope visited the school and then joined the pupils and their families in the gymnasium for the musical performance.

The concert was an occasion for the children to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and to underline that true richness is not measured by what one receives, but by the peace one can generate within oneself and in relationship with others.

Christmas awakens joy and peace

The pupils, all dressed in jeans and white shirts, took their places on the tiered stage. Smiling and visibly moved, they performed a selection of Christmas carols. The melodies of Adeste fideles, Joy to the World, Noël Noël and Astro del ciel filled the festively decorated gymnasium, crowded with parents, teachers, and school staff.  The Bishop of Albano, Monsignor Vincenzo Viva, the President of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, Monsignor Giordano Piccinotti, and the Pope were seated in the front row.

“At the end of the concert,” Pope Leo said, “It was beautiful to listen to Christmas songs in Italian, Latin, English and Spanish.” Hearing children sing in different languages, he said, helps everyone to understand that Christmas awakens joy and peace in everyone's heart. The Pope also expressed his gratitude for the invitation, adding, with a smile, that it had arrived “mysteriously” and that he was happy to have accepted it.

An invitation to do more for peace

Reflecting on one of the songs performed, with lyrics referring to “angels who bring love,” the Pope noted that the children themselves had brought love through their music. He recalled the words of Saint Augustine, who said that “the one who loves sings,” because love enables the heart to grasp what truly matters.

“God wished to communicate to all of us the gift of love: this is what Christmas is,” Pope Leo said, emphasising that God draws close to humanity, especially to the smallest and most vulnerable. He expressed the hope that this spirit, celebrated at Christmas, might be lived out not only in these days but throughout the year. Quoting the refrain of another song, the Pope added, “For us this is a great invitation: to do more to proclaim peace, love and unity in the world.”

Seeing God in the least among us

At the conclusion, Pope Leo offered his blessing to the children and their families, encouraging them to pray together and to open their hearts to recognise God’s presence, especially in the smallest ones.

The Pope was greeted with applause and joyful cheers. He received a tennis racket and the school uniform as gifts and posed for a commemorative photograph with the pupils before leaving.

The Pontifical Paul VI School

The Pontifical Paul VI School of Castel Gandolfo is a Catholic primary school located about 700 metres from Villa Barberini. Pope Paul VI promoted its construction as a gift to the local community, and it was inaugurated by the Pope himself on 12 September 1968. On that occasion, he highlighted the importance of Catholic education for children and young people.

Today, the school welcomes around 300 pupils and offers an educational programme inspired by Catholic principles, enriched by extracurricular activities including sports, music, foreign languages, civic education and food education.