Pope Leo XIV has marked the 56th anniversary of man’s arrival on the moon Sunday with a visit to the Vatican astronomical observatory in Castel Gandolfo and a call to astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

“Summer can be a providential time to experience the beauty and importance of our relationship with God and how much it can help us to be more open and welcoming to others,” Pope Leo said during a homily at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Pancras in Albano, a town about 16 miles south of Rome.

A man holds a photograph of Pope Leo XIV against a wall as he waits for the start of Mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV at St. Pancras Cathedral in

A new book suggests Chicago-born Robert Prevost may have been reluctant at first to take on the weighty responsibility of becoming Pope Leo XIV.

Pope Leo XIV has arrived at the papal summer retreat of Castel Gandolfo to start a six-week vacation. He's giving the hilltop town back its most illustrious resident after Pope

Pope Leo XIV, top left, and late Pontiff Francis are displayed at a book shop in Rome, Sunday, July 20, 2025. (AP Photo/)

Millions of people around the world were stunned when Pope Leo XIV was elected earlier this year as the first American-born pontiff, but one Vatican correspondent was not. Christopher White was one of the first to suggest that Robert Prevost,