Summer should be spent cultivating time with God, relaxing and caring for others, Pope Leo XIV said at Mass in a breezy hilltown during his brief summer break.

Pope Leo stressed the importance of integrity, authenticity and transparency in the life of priests — antidotes to the double life that some priests have lived.

The cry of innocent victims and mothers mourning their children will not go unheard, Pope Leo XIV said.

After an early morning attack on the Holy Family Church in Gaza, Pope Leo XIV called for an immediate ceasefire, dialogue and peace in the region.

Politics can unite instead of divide as long as it refuses to settle for propaganda that feeds on creating enemies, Pope Leo XIV said.

The Religious Activities Committee of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting has announced five new religious activity programs, which enable scouts to learn more about and deepen their faith.

As part of his summer break, Pope Leo XIV visited members of the Italian Carabinieri in Castel Gandolfo and the Poor Clares in nearby Albano Laziale.

Serving life by caring for others is “the supreme law” that comes before all of society’s rules, Pope Leo XIV said.

The pope celebrated the Mass in the small Church of St. Thomas of Villanova, just across the main square from the papal villa in Castel Gandolfo. The pope arrived in the hilltop town south of Rome July 6 for a brief vacation until July 20.

Basing his reflection on the insight of Vatican II that whatever is genuinely human resonates in the hearts of Christians, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Cardinal Michael Czerny, assures “all those who work at sea … that they are in the heart of the Church; they are not alone in their demands for justice, dignity, and joy.”