Albano Laziale – Pope Leo XIV returned today to the diocese that, prior to his election to the papal throne, had been symbolically entrusted to him as Cardinal Bishop. The Cathedral of San Pancrazio welcomed the Successor of Peterwith sober solemnity, as he presided over the Sunday Mass alongside H.E. Bishop Vincenzo Viva of Albano and Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
Absent was Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, titular of the suburbicarian see, while Augustinian religious P. Augustine Chukwuma Ugbomah and P. Bruno Silvestrini, who care for the Pontifical Sacristy, also concelebrated.
At the end of the celebration, the Pontiff gifted the community a white chasuble, a liturgical sign and a commemorative token of this visit, marked by a familial and spiritually intense tone.
“I was supposed to come on May 12, but the Holy Spirit had other plans,” Pope Leo XIV began with a smile, referring with mild irony to how his election – on May 8 – prevented him from taking formal possession of the suburbicarian title. Now, as Bishop of Rome, he returned as Universal Pastor, but with the desire to maintain a living bond with the community of Albano, where he is glad to spend time during the summer months.
Hospitality, silence, contemplation: this is how God passes
The homily unfolded as a profound and meditative reflection on the day’s readings, centered on hospitality and listening: Abraham welcoming the three mysterious visitors at the oaks of Mamre, and Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet while Martha busied herself in serving. “God chooses the way of hospitality to announce fruitfulness to Abraham and Sarah,” the Pope noted, emphasizing how encountering the Lord often happens in the concreteness of daily life, in the simple gestures of caring and being open to others.
But hospitality is not only about service. It is also about listening, gathering, the ability to pause. “It would be wrong to oppose Martha and Mary. Service and listening are twin dimensions of welcoming,” said Leo XIV, stressing the importance of silent prayer and intimacy with God, especially in a time dominated by noise and distraction. “The summer days can become a favorable opportunity to rediscover the joy of recollection, to nurture authentic relationships, to promote a culture of peace.”
The burden of daily charity
Without indulgence or moralizing, the Pope acknowledged how difficult it is to hold together listening and action, prayer and dedication. “It takes effort,” he said, “the fidelity of parents, the commitment of children, mutual forgiveness, support during illness or sorrow. But only in this way can something good be built.” With pastoral realismand spiritual depth, he recalled the words of St. Augustine on Martha and Mary: the present life and future life, the time of toil and that of rest, the ship and the homeland. “But one reaches the homeland only through the ship,” he added, echoing Augustinian language.
Reconciling action and contemplation
Abraham, Martha, Mary: for Leo XIV, these figures become “icons of an integral Christianity,” one that does not oppose but harmonizes, that does not fragment but unifies. “The charity of Christ, the light of His Word, and the strength of His grace,” he concluded, “are the criteria by which we live today, and also the force that sustains us beyond our own capabilities.”
At the end of the Holy Mass, after retiring to the sacristy to change vestments, Pope Leo XIV returned to the Cathedral of San Pancrazio to personally greet the faithful. With a gesture full of humanity, he spent time especially with the elderly and the sick, who held his hands and kissed them with devotion. Then, as he stepped out onto the parvis, he was met by a large and joyful crowd that welcomed him with a long applause. The Pontiff responded with a serene smile, affectionately shaking the hands of those who came near him, in that tone of paternal benevolence that is slowly becoming the hallmark of his pontificate and is winning hearts.
Among those present, a boy named Lorenzo stepped forward and spontaneously asked the Pope if he could be confirmed in the Vatican. Then he hugged him, moving those present. Among the faithful who greeted the Holy Father were also several Peruvians, who caught the attention of Prevost.
The journalistic jackals against peace
Unfortunately, while Leo XIV was spending time with the people, there were also jarring moments. Some jackal journalists – including Ignazio Ingrao and Rosario Carello – pounced on the Pope with insistent questions about the crisis in the Middle East and the tragic events in Gaza. It is the same old script of a certain kind of journalism that, unable to respect the context and timing, demands answers to complex issues in the middle of a public square, among outstretched hands and children’s smiles. But when the profession turns into “professional scavenging,” the urge to chase audience ratings prevails over the responsibility to safeguard the word, the silence, and above all, the figure of the Pope.
With courtesy and firmness, Leo XIV responded briefly, explaining that he had spoken with the Prime Minister of Israel to request the protection of holy places. He then renewed his invitation to pray for peace, though emphasizing that prayer must always be accompanied by concrete daily commitment to truly build it.
d.F.C.
Silere non possum