The past few months have revealed an unmistakable Benedictine thread running through the papal calendar. From his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV worked a pair of seemingly impromptu excursions into his holiday itinerary. Whether these visits reflected a quiet appreciation for the monastic charism or merely the irresistible appeal of un buon pranzo benedettino, the Holy Father’s presence has offered warm encouragement to the Confederation.

The series of visits began on 20 July when the Holy Father paid a private call to Montecassino Abbey. There, at the tomb of Saint Benedict, he paused to pray for global peace, drawing upon the monastic motto of pax, before joining the community for lunch.

Two days later, on 22 July, the Pope made a surprise excursion playing on the same Benedictine theme. After a stop at the Shrine of the Holy Trinity in Vallepietra, he and his entourage drove on to Subiaco. At the Monastery of Saint Benedict, he spent time in silent meditation and, as is tradition, kissed the knee of the saint’s statue at Sacro Speco. He then drove down to the Monastery of Saint Scholastica, where he shared a meal with the community before touring the cloisters.

The engagement with the Benedictines continued on 12 September, this time at the Vatican, when the Pope addressed participants of the Communio Internationalis Benedictinarum symposium. He praised their work in fostering communion and specifically commended their initiatives to offer new formation opportunities for Benedictine women. Recalling his recent visits to Montecassino and Subiaco, he thanked them for their "humble and silent presence".

The culmination of this Benedictine theme came on 28 September during the Holy Father’s Apostolic Journey to France. Speaking in Metz at the meeting "At the Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity", Pope Leo XIV paid broad historical tribute to Saint Benedict as a patron and founding father of the continent. The Abbot Primate talks about this extensively in this issue of Notes from the Aventine.

From quiet moments of silent prayer at Montecassino to public declarations on the international stage, Pope Leo’s late-summer itinerary has offered a striking sequence of affirmations for our Order. Beyond the warmth of informal visits and shared table fellowship, the Holy Father's words provide a meaningful encouragement as our monasteries continue their quiet work of prayer, study and hospitality at the heart of the Church.