In Pope Leo’s homily of the Mass celebrated at the church of Maria Santissima del Lago in Castel Gandolfo, followed by the traditional procession, Pope Leo XIV reflects on the beauty of such “simple gestures” of devotion, capable of renewing faith, and emphasizes that in a world that dismisses forgiveness as synonymous with naivety and weakness, believing, instead, becomes a path toward peace, enabling us to “continue sailing toward the desired destination.”

By Edoardo Giribaldi

The fan-shaped structure of the Church of Maria Santissima del Lago resembles the planks of a boat, which, at the point corresponding to its ideal bow, converge toward the cross rising above the stretch of water nestled among the Alban Hills. Beauty, therefore, would seem not to be “a utopia” here. Yet it is enough to set sail and immerse oneself in the world to fear being blown off course by the “contrary winds” that reduce self-giving to naivety and forgiveness to weakness.

From Lake Albano, we are thus led back to the Sea of Galilee, where, in the midst of a storm, Jesus does something that appears utopian but is in fact concrete: He walks on the water and urges us to have faith—the key to finding peace again and to “continue sailing toward the desired destination.”

From the altar of the church consecrated by Saint Paul VI in August 1977, Pope Leo XIV once again encourages us to follow the “path of life,” the path of love, before setting sail—becoming the first Pope in history to do so—on the waters of Lake Albano. On board the Falco boat of the Lungolago Castel Gandolfo Association, there is also a now-familiar rather than exceptional guest, since this tradition has been repeated since the post-war period, when no more than six or seven families lived in the small town of Lazio: the statue of Our Lady of the Lake.

The Popes and the Feast of Our Lady of the Lake

The Bishop of Rome presided over this evening’s Mass, 29 August at the Church of Maria Santissima del Lago in Castel Gandolfo.

The celebration is followed by a procession with the statue of the Virgin Mary, in an atmosphere of joyful solemnity, recalling, alongside Pope Saint Paul VI, the participation of Saint John XXIII in the Feast of Our Lady of the Lake, promoting its memory and renewing its message. 

Loving without compromise

Taking one’s ideal of communion all the way, without hesitation, is also what Jesus teaches us to practice in the Gospel. After feeding four thousand men and women with seven loaves and a few small fish, the Lord reveals to His disciples the suffering He will have to endure in Jerusalem, culminating in His death and resurrection.

“He explains that,” Pope Leo recalled, “after the many miracles He has performed, He will definitively manifest His glory by freely sacrificing His life and offering Himself on the cross as broken bread. And He makes clear that anyone who wishes to continue His mission must do the same: “If anyone wants to come after me,” He says, “let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”

The joy of the harvester and the intention of the sower

He suggested therefore that only love saves, and urged us to scatter the seeds of this “infinite charity” throughout the world, because, as Saint Augustine taught, “the joy of the harvester reveals the intention of the sower.”

“Unfortunately,” he noted, “not everyone understands the beauty, goodness, and concreteness of this dream of the Creator; indeed, many think it is a utopia. Turning the other cheek, they say, is for losers; giving in the face of rejection is for the naïve; forgiving without limits is for the weak.”

This, Pope Leo said, should come as no surprise.

“Even Peter,” he said, “found it difficult to accept this new and different way of thinking. But Jesus remains unequivocal: only the way of love is the way of life.”

The Futility of Hatred and Violence

Pope Leo XIV also warned against dangerous illusions:

“Hatred and violence,” he said, “lead to nothing good, but only to destruction and death, always—even when they are a response to injustices suffered. We see this every day, from the smallest circumstances of our domestic lives to the great stage of the world.”

For every sphere of human existence, he reminded, needs life, hope, serenity, and peace: from individuals themselves to peoples and nations.

Therefore, whatever the wound, whatever the offense, he suggested, let us not allow evil to disfigure our humanity and corrupt us in our hearts.

Having faith in the midst of the storm

This commitment, the Holy Father expressed, must not lead to discouragement in the face of difficulties. The procession itself recalls this, evoking the aforementioned miracle of Jesus walking on the water, reaching His frightened disciples and bringing them safely back to shore after calming the storm.

“Precisely when they were most frightened, at the mercy of contrary winds,” Pope Leo reminded, the Lord “urged them to have faith, to pray, so that they might find peace and, together with Him, continue sailing toward the desired destination.”

Simple and caring gestures

Recalling “simple gestures,” repeated from generation to generation, the Holy Father suggested, is an effective way of renewing faith and devotion.

The Pope emphasized this, focusing on the care shown by the small local community as it gathers solemnly to represent the entire Church: “one body, in prayer, in sentiments, in intentions, in the orderly and unanimous development of our being together.”

“Let us therefore,” he said, draw close tonight to Jesus and Mary, to the Son and the mother, so that, united, we may be, not only on the lake but during all the nights of the world, a reassuring reflection of God’s presence and an irresistible echo of His love that invites us to love.

The Salesians’ commitment in Castel Gandolfo

The Mass was concelebrated, among others, by the Bishop of the Diocese of Albano, Bishop Vincenzo Viva; the parish priest of the Church of Saint Thomas of Villanova in Castel Gandolfo, Father Tadeuz Rozmus; and members of the Salesians’ General House, Father Gabriel Cruz and Father Pedro André, representing the Rector Major, Father Fabio Attard.

The occasion also marks the centenary of the congregation’s presence in Castel Gandolfo.

Founded by Don Bosco, the Salesians were called to Castel Gandolfo in 1926 by Pope Pius XI to open an oratory and undertake parish ministry, with particular attention to the education of young people and to their human and Christian development.

The beginning of the Procession

After the Mass concludes, Leo XIV and the faithful leave the church and carry the statue of Our Lady of the Lake in procession, initially along the streets, as far as the “Tropicana” establishment.

After passing the beach, the image is placed aboard a boat provided by the Castelli Romani Park Authority. The Holy Father also boards the vessel, which then sets sail toward the nearby “Giorgio’s Beach” establishment, at the foot of the Apostolic Palace.

As tradition dictates, the boat is accompanied by around ten civilian vessels—including two canoes—and several vessels belonging to the law-enforcement authorities.