Pope Leo XIV began his summer break July 6 at Castel Gandolfo, where he’ll stay through July 20. But don’t expect the Holy Father to simply relax.

Three North Americans are among recent appointees to Vatican dicasteries that address issues of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue.

Pope Leo XIV’s appointment of the new president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors shows that safeguarding remains a top priority, its former president said.

Addressing the faithful gathered for his Sunday Angelus on July 6, Pope Leo offered a reflection on the missionary nature of the church, grounded in the Gospel of Luke.

Archbishop Thibault Verny is the new president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. He will put his French experience at the service of the universal church, while retaining his diocesan responsibilities.

Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori and Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly met July 4 in a private audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican to discuss the work of the order around the world.

Almost four years after Pope Francis opened the Catholic Church’s path toward synodality — a term many in the church had never heard before — his successor has thrown his support behind the last leg of the church’s synodal journey.

Amid Russia’s war on Ukraine, the faith of Ukrainians is being “sorely tested,” but God “will have the last word, and life will conquer death,” said Pope Leo XIV.

Archbishops around the world can provide by their example the fraternity and unity in diversity the entire Catholic Church needs today, Pope Leo XIV said.

The Vatican Observatory attests that “science is not against God” — and the nexus of science and spirituality invites humankind to contemplate the Lord’s wondrous works, said a Jesuit astrophysicist.