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2d ago

Pope Leo XIV Revives Castel Gandolfo Summer Retreat With Call for Compassion

Municipal officials in Dolton, Illinois, this week finalized the $375,000 purchase of his childhood home for conversion into a pilgrimage monument.

Pope Leo XIV addresses the crowd for the Angelus prayer in Piazza della Liberta (Liberty Square) in front of Palazzo Apostolico (Apostolic Palace) in the summer papal estate in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, Italy, July 13, 2025. The newly elected pope, takes a summer break from July 6 to 20 at the papal palace, a longtime country residence for pontiffs that Francis declined to use. Tiziana Fabi/Pool via REUTERS
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Overview

  • On July 13, Leo XIV presided over his first public Mass at San Tomás de Villanueva in Castel Gandolfo, condemning wars and urging prayers for their victims.
  • During the midday Angelus blessing he appealed for a “revolution of compassion,” invoking the Good Samaritan parable to foster global empathy.
  • His July 6 return to the Apostolic Palace restored the centuries-old summer residence tradition halted under Pope Francis, and he will remain there through July 20.
  • Dolton’s municipal council approved a $375,000 acquisition of his two-story childhood home at 212 Place Street, with plans to establish a historical and pilgrimage site.
  • The Archdiocese of Chicago has signaled its support for the Dolton project, which local leaders say will cement the pontiff’s pastoral legacy in his native community.