Pope Leo Celebrates Eucharist in Castel Gandolfo
Pope Leo is set to share a meal with around 200 poor people from the Diocese of Rome at Borgo Laudato si' in Castel Gandolfo on Saturday. The initiative, called Lunch with the Pope, will begin with the celebration of th…
Pope Leo is set to share a meal with around 200 poor people from the Diocese of Rome at Borgo Laudato si' in Castel Gandolfo on Saturday. The initiative, called Lunch with the Pope, will begin with the celebration of the Eucharist, following the Liturgy for the Care of Creation, and will include a warm welcome, refreshments, a guided visit through Borgo Laudato si', and a shared meal with the Holy Father.
This gathering builds on a previous initiative first launched in August 2025, when Pope Leo shared lunch with poor individuals from the Diocese of Albano in Italy. That encounter has since become an annual event promoted by the Laudato si' Centre for Higher Education, overseeing the development of the Borgo Laudato si' project.
Every year, a different diocese is invited to unite poor individuals, refugees, migrants, and others facing difficulties, offering them a day immersed in the beauty of creation and a chance to meet the Pope.
This year's event is being organized collaboratively by the Laudato si' Centre for Higher Education, the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, and the Diocese of Rome, uniting Church institutions and organizations that support vulnerable people throughout the Italian capital.
Cardinal Fabio Baggio, Director General of the Laudato si' Centre for Higher Education, remarked that Borgo Laudato si' was created to showcase that "the care of creation and the care of the human person are one and the same mission." He described the initiative as a continuing step in Pope Leo's outreach to those living on the social peripheries, reaffirming the Church's vocation to be present where human dignity calls for "listening, closeness, and hope."
Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, echoed this sentiment, stating that the Pope's choice illustrates that authentic charity manifests through "closeness, encounter, and sharing." He emphasized that when the Church places the most vulnerable individuals at its center, it makes the Gospel visible and demonstrates that no one exists on the margins of God's heart.
Furthermore, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the Pope's Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome, explained that those invited are individuals who receive support daily from parishes, Caritas, and various ecclesial and social organizations throughout the city. He noted that the meeting with the Holy Father restores a sense of centrality to those who are often overlooked, serving as a call for the entire Christian community to embrace the responsibility of welcome.
The organizers highlighted that this initiative embodies the mission of Borgo Laudato si', where care for creation, human development, and Christian formation seamlessly converge through tangible experiences of encounter, participation, and faith.
