Next Saturday, July 11, 2026, the Borgo Laudato si’, located in the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo, will serve as the venue for the “Lunch with the Pope” event.
As part of the the Pontiff's visit This month in that town, this day of welcome and fellowship will bring together nearly 200 socially vulnerable people from the Diocese of Rome, who will have the opportunity to share a meal with Pope Leo XIV.
Integral Ecology and Coexistence
The event features a program that weaves together faith, nature, and social inclusion. The day will begin with a Eucharistic celebration featuring the Liturgy for the Care of Creation.
Afterward, attendees will enjoy a time of welcome and fellowship, followed by a guided tour so that guests can explore the facilities and learn about the Borgo Laudato si’ project. Later, the event will formally conclude with a shared lunch with the Holy Father.
Pastoral Care for Those on the Margins
This event is not an isolated occurrence, but rather the culmination of an annual initiative promoted by the Laudato si’ Center for Advanced Formation. The project originated from the experience on August 17, 2025, when the Holy Father shared a similar meal with people living in poverty in the Diocese of Albano.
As a result of that meeting, it was decided to invite a different diocese each year to offer refugees, migrants, and people in situations of social vulnerability a day spent immersed in the beauty of creation and the opportunity to meet the Pope.
This year’s event holds great ecclesial significance, as it is the result of a joint collaboration between the Laudato si’ Center for Advanced Formation, the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, and the Diocese of Rome. Together, they have organized a unified pastoral initiative involving the leading organizations and parishes that provide daily support to the most vulnerable residents of the Italian capital.
Support and Statements from Authorities
Cardinal Fabio Baggio, Director General of the Laudato si’ Center for Advanced Formation, emphasized that they created this space to demonstrate that “care for creation and care for the person constitute a single mission.” Baggio added that, following the experience in Lampedusa, this day marks a new stage in Leo XIV’s journey toward the peripheries of our time.
For his part, Monsignor Luis Marín de San Martín, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, noted that the Pope’s election reaffirms that “charity is expressed through closeness, encounter, and sharing.”.
Likewise, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome, concluded by explaining that the explicit intention was to make the people supported by Caritas and local associations the protagonists, restoring the leading role “to those who all too often remain on the margins.”.
Community and Business Collaboration
This event is made possible thanks to the support of an extensive network of organizations, including the Community of Sant’Egidio, Caritas of the Diocese of Rome, the Astalli Center, the ACLI of Rome, and numerous local parishes.
From a logistical standpoint, the organizing institutions expressed their gratitude to «Restaurante L’Isola della Pizza» in Rome, which provided lunch, as well as to «Bar Al Duomo» in Albano Laziale, which provided a welcome breakfast for the participants.
