At the age of 97, Cardinal Ernest Simoni, returned to the former prison camp in Albania where he used to offer Mass in secret during his 18 years of sentenced forced labor, offering a public Mass July 31 in the memory of those who suffered and died at the labor camp.

The American singer-songwriter Patti Smith met with Pope Leo XIV July 31 in a private audience at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace.

Pope Leo XIV spoke with Tom Llamas of NBC News July 29 about being the first American pope, his diverse ancestry and whether he might be coming to the U.S. soon.

Pope Leo XIV will celebrate a public Mass every week of August after taking time to rest in Castel Gandolfo during the month of July.

As dusk settled over the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo on July 29, Pope Leo XIV listened as Andrea Bocelli led 164 young voices in a hymn, prompting the pope to offer a reflection on how beauty can lead us to God.

Pope Leo XIV urged young people not to be “couch potatoes” in a video message on July 25, adding that the Church needs their missionary energy and “holy rebelliousness.

Pope Leo XIV offered prayers as firefighters continue to battle massive wildfires in Spain and France that have forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate from their homes.

Pope Leo XIV on July 26 renewed his urgent appeals for peace in the Holy Land and across the Middle East during his Angelus address in Castel Gandolfo, expressing deep concern over the escalating violence and calling for an immediate return to dialogue.

Renown tenor Andrea Bocelli will sing for Pope Leo XIV July 29 alongside a children’s choir of more than 160 members from the Holy Land, Uganda and Italy. The performance was organized by Bocelli’s charitable foundation to take place at the Vatican’s Borgo Laudato Si’ gardens in Castel Gandolfo. 

Since the pontificate of St. Paul VI, journalists covering the Vatican have had the unique privilege of direct access to the Vicar of Christ at 30,000 feet.