Summary
Pope Leo XIV is set to visit the parish of Piazza Santa Maria Regina Pacis in Ostia Lido, a Roman neighborhood near the sea. The visit will take place on a date yet unspecified, with Pope Leo arriving at 4:00 PM. Initially, he will meet approximately 400 children and young people from the catechetical program behind the church yard. Following this, he will greet around 400 other community members in the parish gymnasium, including elderly individuals, the sick, the poor, and volunteers from Caritas, a local charitable organization. The visit is expected to conclude with Holy Mass at 5:00 PM, presided over by Pope Leo XIV. Cardinals Baldo Reina, Renato Tarantelli Baccari, and the parish priest Father Giovanni Vincenzo Patanè will be present. Other attendees include several parish priests from Ostia, the chaplain of Italy’s Guardia di Finanza, and local clergy members. Father Patanè highlights the symbolic choice of Saint Mary, Queen of Peace as the patron saint of the parish, reflecting Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on “unarmed and disarming peace.” The community anticipates a significant event with tickets distributed by lottery. Father Patanè emphasizes that for this congregation, Pope Leo XIV is not just a head of state but their bishop and shepherd who comes to visit his Church, emphasizing this as a pastoral gesture of closeness.
Key Topics
Pope Leo XIV, Ostia, Pallottine Fathers
