Overview

• Italian outlet La Repubblica, echoed by National Catholic Reporter, reports that Leo intends to share the papal apartment with a small community of three or four Augustinian friars.
• The reconfigured space is expected to include quarters for his secretary, Fr. Edgar Rimaycuna, with potential friars drawn from those already serving in the papal sacristy.
• Work on the third floor has been slowed by damp and structural issues that prompted plumbing repairs and other fixes, leaving the completion date and move‑in timing unclear.
• Descriptions of the 10‑room apartment note a study used for the Sunday Angelus, a chapel, a bedroom, and related facilities, with technicians addressing long‑neglected damage.
• Newsweek notes this would be unusual in modern papal practice, and the Catholic Herald reports the pope is staying in the Sagrestia building pending completion, while the Vatican has not formally confirmed the housemate plan.