Pope Leo XIV is the first American to hold the office of Bishop of Rome. On 29 July 2026 he led Canticle of Peace at Borgo Laudato si’ in the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo.
Stay at Castel Gandolfo and the gathering
According to Vatican News, Pope Leo XIV spent a period of rest at Castel Gandolfo from 5 July to 27 July 2026, then returned to the Vatican. He came back to Castel Gandolfo on 29 July for Canticle of Peace. The gathering formed part of commemorations of the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi. It was organised by the Laudato si’ Higher Education Centre and the Andrea Bocelli Foundation.
Vatican News and Holy See accounts record the presence of 164 children and young people from the Holy Land, Uganda, Haiti and Italy, and the participation of tenor Andrea Bocelli. The programme took place beneath the holm oak known as “Methuselah.” In his greeting the Pope spoke of music bringing different voices into unison, thanked the choir directors, and prayed for peace in the homes and countries of the young participants. He thanked the Andrea Bocelli Foundation for its work with young people facing educational and social disadvantage. The gathering concluded with the Lord’s Prayer, the sign of peace and the Apostolic Blessing; Bocelli and the choir then performed Amazing Grace.
Remarks to NBC News
After the gathering Pope Leo XIV spoke with NBC News anchor Tom Llamas. Asked about being the first American pontiff, he said he thought of himself as “the Pope who happens to be American.” He spoke of his love for the United States and its ideals while placing his responsibility as pastor of a universal Church before nationality. He referred to immigrant grandparents and to both freedom and contradiction in his family history and in the history of the United States. On a possible visit to the United States he indicated that Americans would see him there, with no journey yet finalised.
Greeting after the gathering
Photographs show Julio Herrera Velutini and Melanie Herrera Velutini greeting the Pope at the end of the evening. Banvelca Foundation supported the initiative. Read the report on the post-event greeting. Event details and papal quotations are supported by Holy See and Vatican News sources.