Pilgrimage to Italy and Pope Leo

May 2

Our pilgrimage to Italy was fantastic. We visited Rome, Assisi, and Florence, with day trips to Siena, Castle Gandolfo, Livorno, and some went to Pisa… all in 11 days! We saw so much. The history was literally before us be it the Colosseum or St. Peter’s in Rome or the statue of David in Florence. The line that defined the pilgrimage for me was said by Debbie, a parishioner and fellow traveler, when asked by an Australian couple who was amazed that we were 39 people traveling together, “Do you know everyone?” To which Debbie replied, “We do now!” A bit like the road to Emmaus, we did get to know one another along the way, and in many ways we were able to encounter Christ on our journey.

In between the meals, conversations, tours, and travel ventures, I read The Election of Pope Leo XIV: The Last Surprise of Pope Francis, by Gerard O'Connell and Elisabetta Pique. It was one of those books that I didn’t want to put down. The two authors are journalists, besides being husband and wife, and have worked directly with the Vatican press office for many years. They offered some wonderful insights into Pope Francis and how he was elected as well as the dynamic election that brought the College of Cardinals to select the first American and first Augustinian to be Pope. Admittedly, many of the Cardinals did not know Robert Cardinal Prevost before the conclave but after only 24 hours within the Sistine Chapel, 108 of the 133 Cardinals present thought he was the right person to become the 267th Pope of Rome.

As per the title, the book spoke about how Pope Leo XIV was elected but also about who he is. After the election the authors spoke with a number of Cardinals. What was shared was the desire to continue the work of Pope Francis. Specifically, to continue being a Synodal Church and to continue the reforms within the Vatican. They presented Leo as a great listener and deep thinker. Although the assumption is that Leo was chosen to continue the work of Pope Francis, it was very clear that Leo is not Francis II. Pope Leo has his own style, yet the authors believe that Francis set Cardinal Prevost in a great position to be seen as his successor.

The book included a number of quotes from different addresses Pope Leo gave soon after his election. His talk to the representatives of the media on May 12, 2025, given four days after his election, caught my attention. Although he was addressing journalists, what he said could very well be addressed to all of us. He began by referencing Jesus’ admonition, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” from the Sermon on the Mount. (Mt 5:9) He says, “This is a Beatitude that challenges all of us, but it is particularly relevant to you, calling each one of you to strive for a different kind of communication, one that does not seek consensus at all costs, does not use aggressive words, does not follow the culture of competition and never separates the search for truth from the love with which we must humbly seek it. Peace begins with each one of us: in the way we look at others, listen to others and speak about others. In this sense, the way we communicate is of fundamental importance: we must say “no” to the war of words and images, we must reject the paradigm of war.”

After expressing the Church’s solidarity with those journalists imprisoned because of their reporting, he thanks the journalists before him “for your service to the truth.”

He went on to say, “We are living in times that are both difficult to navigate and to recount. They present a challenge for all of us, but it is one that we should not run away from. On the contrary, they demand that each one of us, in our different roles and services, never give in to mediocrity. The Church must face the challenges posed by the times. In the same way, communication and journalism do not exist outside of time and history. Saint Augustine reminds us of this when he said, “Let us live well and the times will be good. We are the times.” (Discourse 80.8).

“Today, one of the most important challenges is to promote communication that can bring us out of the “Tower of Babel” in which we sometimes find ourselves, out of the confusion of loveless languages that are often ideological or partisan. Therefore, your service, with the words you use and the style you adopt, is crucial. As you know, communication is not only the transmission of information, but it is also the creation of a culture, of human and digital environments that become spaces for dialogue and discussion. In looking at how technology is developing, this mission becomes ever more necessary. I am thinking in particular of artificial intelligence, with its immense potential, which nevertheless requires responsibility and discernment in order to ensure that it can be used for the good of all, so that it can benefit all of humanity.”

He concluded by saying, “Let us disarm communication of all prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and even hatred; let us free it from aggression. We do not need loud, forceful communication, but rather communication that is capable of listening and of gathering the voices of the weak who have no voice. Let us disarm words and we will help to disarm the world. Disarmed and disarming communication allows us to share a different view of the world and to act in a manner consistent with our human dignity.”

Pope Leo tells the representatives of the media that they “are at the forefront of reporting on conflicts and aspirations for peace, on situations of injustice and poverty, and on the silent work of so many people striving to create a better world. For this reason, I ask you to choose consciously and courageously the path of communication in favor of peace.”

We will certainly get to know more about Pope Leo as time unfolds but I think his words to those who have dedicated their lives to journalism are not just for journalists.

Peace and All Good.