Pope Leo XIV made a surprise excursion yesterday to the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, where he visited the Borgo Laudato Si’ project initiated by his predecessor, Pope Francis. Source: Vatican News.
The Borgo Laudato Si’ (“Laudato Si’ Village”), located on the grounds of the Papal Villas, is a space dedicated to formation and education on the theme of the earth as our “common home” – an example of the “integral ecology” at the heart of the encyclical for which it is named.
The Pope was welcomed by Cardinal Fabio Baggio, Under Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, and Fr Manuel Dorantes, project director of the Borgo Laudato Si’, which is set to be inaugurated soon.
After pausing in the Garden of the Virgin Mary, Pope Leo visited the Belvedere Gardens, and then paused in the Cryptoporticus, the archaeological remains of the Roman Emperor Domitian’s audience hall.
The Pope reflected on the “courageous actions of Pope Pius XII, who in 1944 provided refuge to over 12,000 people following the bombing of the Castelli Romani region during World War II.”
During his visit to Castel Gandolfo, the Holy Father also visited the Apostolic Palace, which Pope Francis had transformed into a museum in 2016, and the historic Villa Barberini, before returning to the Vatican.
With the publication of Laudato Si’ 10 years ago, Pope Francis shone a spotlight on the critical issue of care for “our common home”.
The natural spaces surrounding the papal residence at Castel Gandolfo – including 200,000 square metres of farmland, greenhouses, and service buildings – were determined to be the ideal locale to give concrete form to the principles proclaimed in the encyclical.
The Borgo Laudato Si’ welcomes not only entrepreneurs and specialists, schoolchildren, and university students, but also those who are marginalised, for whom Pope Francis had special affection.
These include migrants, women victims of violence, people with disabilities, ex-prisoners, people struggling with drug addiction, and many others who are often deprived of educational opportunities.
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Pope Leo XIV visits the Borgo Laudato Si’ in Castel Gandolfo (Vatican News)
