As the first Lenten retreat of his pontificate drew to a close, Pope Leo XIV thanked Norwegian Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim for “a profound, spiritual experience” after which, the pope said, he felt “particularly invited to reflect at certain moments.”

With the Vatican confirming Pope Leo XIV’s trip to Spain in June, plans for the upcoming visit are full steam ahead, the organizer of the visit said.

Norwegian Bishop Erik Varden preached a series of meditations for the first Lenten retreat of Pope Leo XIV and the Roman Curia, reflecting on the splendor of truth and the Christian idea of freedom, as well as sin, abuse and Church corruption.

The first commissioned bust of Pope Leo XIV by famed Catholic sculptor Timothy Schmalz was installed in Chicago Feb. 22 at Catholic Theological Union, the graduate theology school where the pope is an alumnus. The bust is one of only three Pope Leo sculptures by Schmalz, so far. They are all located in the Americas.

The text of Pope Leo XIV’s introduction to his book “Peace Be with You!” published by HarperCollins and available in bookstores in the United States and English-speaking countries starting Feb. 24.

Pope Leo XIV has pointed to Our Lady of Guadalupe as the model of “perfect inculturation” as Mexico prepares to mark the 500th anniversary of the apparition in 2031 with a jubilee year.

Pope Leo XIV will travel to six countries over the next four months, including a 10-day tour of Africa and trips to Monaco and Spain, the Vatican announced Feb. 25.

The executive commission of the Spanish bishops’ conference clarified a recent report that alleged Pope Leo XIV had warned about attempts by far-right political parties in the country to “weaponize the Church.”

The Jubilee Year, the death of Pope Francis and the unexpected election of a U.S. pope boosted the number of U.S. visitors seeking free tickets to Vatican events in 2025, said the Bishops’ Office for U.S. Visitors to the Vatican.

Pope Leo XIV has revealed that he considered joining the Salesians as a boy before ultimately discerning a vocation with the Augustinian order, joking that the congregation of Don Bosco “came in second place” in his spiritual journey.