“To live forever, we do not need to cheat death, but to serve life,” said Pope Leo XIV before praying the Angelus prayer, delivered in Liberty Square in front of the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo on July 13, 2025.
[The link above now includes the Vatican's English translation; article published before the translation was available.]
What the human heart hopes for is described as a good to be “inherited”: it is not to be conquered by force, nor begged for as servants, nor obtained by contract. Eternal life, which only God can give, is passed on to man as a legacy from father to son.
This morning, Leo XIV returned to the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo shortly after 11:20 a.m., after celebrating Mass in Castel Gandolfo's pontifical parish, St. Thomas Villanova, located in Liberty Square in the heart of the town.
To pray the Angelus, he emerged through the main door to the cheers of the crowd, as the palace's famous clock struck noon.
For the occasion, Leo XIV had chosen to address the large crowd gathered despite the rain on the Piazza della Libertà from the parvis of the apostolic palace, rather than from the window on the upper floor, as had often been the case for his predecessors.
The last public prayer of a pope at this site was presided over by Benedict XVI on February 28, 2013, the day his pontificate ended.
Bring consolation and hope
In his brief address before the Marian prayer, Leo XIV commented on the Gospel of the day, in which a disciple asks Christ what law he must follow to earn his place in Paradise.
Serving life, that is, caring for the existence of others in the time we share, "is the supreme law, which comes before every social rule and gives it meaning," the Pope said.
Jesus is the revelation of true love for God and for man: love that gives itself and does not possess, love that forgives and does not demand, love that helps and never abandons. In Christ, God has made himself close to every man and woman: therefore, each of us can and must become a neighbor to those we meet along the way. Following the example of Jesus, Savior of the world, we too are called to bring consolation and hope, especially to those who are discouraged and disappointed.
A basketball game?
After the Marian prayer, the Pope addressed the crowd of pilgrims and residents of Castel Gandolfo, saying he was happy to be among them and thanking them for their welcome.
He then talked with the faithful and officials in the crowd at length, before returning to the Apostolic Palace.
Before Leo XIV, Pope Francis preferred to spend his vacations at the Santa Marta residence in the Vatican and had therefore abandoned the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo throughout his pontificate. As a result of his decision, the residence has been turned into a museum, and part of the gardens, renamed Borgo Laudato Si', is now dedicated to reflection on ecological issues.
Leo XIV is currently staying at Villa Barberini, another villa located in the Vatican's extraterritorial territory, where he is spending two weeks devoted to rest, prayer, and study.
This vacation could also be a time for the Pope to get back to sports: After Sunday Mass, the Pope chatted with young people from the Castel Gandolfo parish. According to a source consulted by journalists present at the scene, he promised to take part in one of their basketball games.
As for a tennis match, a sport particularly enjoyed by the pontiff, this will take place “when the rain stops,” he added.
