Pope Leo XIV’s Day Among the Poor of Albano
Hospitality, Compassion, Prayer
In the heart of Albano, within the historic and faith-filled walls of the Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Rotonda, a day rich in spirituality, sharing, and closeness to the most vulnerable unfolded. On Sunday morning, August 17, Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Eucharist together with people assisted by the local Caritas and its volunteers, transforming the city’s historic center into a lively place of encounter and fraternity.
Welcomed shortly after 9 a.m. on Via della Rotonda by the Bishop of Albano, Monsignor Vincenzo Viva, and by the Mayor of Albano Massimiliano Borelli, the Pope made his way to the Sanctuary, greeting the many people who had gathered along the route. Awaiting him in the churchyard were Monsignor Adriano Gibellini, rector of the Sanctuary, and Alessio Rossi, director of the diocesan Caritas, who guided him on a brief visit to the photographic exhibition “Signs of Hope”, set up under the church portico.
After a moment of silent adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, the Eucharistic celebration began, concelebrated, among others, by Bishop Viva and Father Giuseppe Continisio, president of the association that coordinates the solidarity works of the local Caritas.
During the homily, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the value of a Church that welcomes and embraces all humanity, especially those going through hard times. He pointed out how the circular form of the church—just as in other sacred places, like St. Peter’s Square—conveys the sense of a divine embrace. He urged those present not to distinguish between those who give and those who receive: “We are the Lord’s Church, a Church of the poor, all precious, all subjects, each one bearer of a unique Word of God. Each person is a gift to others. Let us bring down walls,” he said, renewing his appeal for peace and solidarity with the less fortunate.
During the offertory, some residents of family social centers, including a Peruvian family, brought gifts to the Pope, symbolizing a Church built in unity, without barriers.
Afterwards, following the recitation of the Angelus in Piazza della Libertà in Castel Gandolfo, the Pope shared a meal with over one hundred people in difficult situations under assistance, hosted in at the “Rest Pavilion” in the Borgo Laudato si’, within the Papal Villas of Castel Gandolfo. To welcome him, in addition to Bishop Viva, were Cardinal Fabio Baggio, Director General of the Laudato si’ Center for Higher Education and Under-Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the Director of the Papal Villas, Andrea Tamburelli, the mayors of Albano and Castel Gandolfo, and numerous Caritas workers. All participants were also gifted a handmade souvenir keychain crafted by the Poor Clares of the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception in Albano.
