Vatican City: Pope Leo will share lunch with around 200 poor and vulnerable people from the Diocese of Rome on Saturday, July 11, at Borgo Laudato si' in Castel Gandolfo. The gathering will offer guests a day of prayer, welcome, friendship and time with the Pope in the peaceful surroundings of the Pontifical Gardens.
The event, called Lunch with the Pope, will begin with the celebration of the Eucharist. The Mass will use the Liturgy for the Care of Creation, reflecting the close connection between care for the environment and care for people. After the Mass, the guests will be welcomed with refreshments before taking part in a guided visit through Borgo Laudato si'. The day will then continue with a shared lunch with Pope Leo.
The gathering is more than a formal Church event. It is designed to give people facing poverty and other difficulties an opportunity to feel welcomed, respected and included. Many of the guests are people who receive regular support from parishes, Caritas groups and other Church and social organisations in Rome.
The initiative follows a similar gathering held in August 2025, when Pope Leo shared a meal with poor people from the Diocese of Albano in Italy. Following that encounter, the programme became an annual event promoted by the Laudato si' Centre for Higher Education, which is responsible for developing the Borgo Laudato si' project.
Under the plan, a different diocese will be invited each year to bring people who are experiencing hardship. The guests may include poor families, refugees, migrants and others facing difficult social and economic conditions. Organisers hope the event will give them a chance to enjoy the beauty of nature, meet others and personally encounter the Pope.
This year's gathering is being organised by the Laudato si' Centre for Higher Education, the Dicastery for the Service of Charity and the Diocese of Rome. The cooperation brings together Church institutions and organisations that work closely with vulnerable people throughout the Italian capital.
Cardinal Fabio Baggio, Director General of the Laudato si' Centre for Higher Education, said the mission of Borgo Laudato si' is based on the belief that caring for creation cannot be separated from caring for human beings.
He explained that the initiative is another expression of Pope Leo's commitment to people living on the margins of society. According to the Cardinal, the meeting shows the Church's responsibility to be present in places where people need attention, companionship and hope.
Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, also stressed the importance of personal encounters. He said genuine charity is shown through closeness, meeting people and sharing life with them.
He added that when vulnerable people are placed at the centre of the Church's attention, the message of the Gospel becomes visible. The gathering, he said, is a reminder that no person is forgotten or excluded from God's love.
Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the Pope's Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome, said the invited guests are people supported every day by parishes, Caritas and many Church and social organisations across Rome.
He said the meeting with the Pope gives attention and dignity to people who are often overlooked by society. He also described the event as a call to the wider Christian community to take responsibility for welcoming and supporting people in need.
The organisers said the lunch reflects the wider mission of Borgo Laudato si', a place where environmental care, human development and Christian formation are brought together. The project seeks to turn the message of care for creation and care for people into practical experiences based on participation, faith and human encounter.
The event has received support from Catholic charities, parish communities and volunteer organisations that serve vulnerable people across Rome. Local businesses have also contributed by providing breakfast and lunch for the occasion.
Saturday's gathering is expected to be a simple but meaningful occasion. By sitting at the same table and sharing a meal, Pope Leo and his guests will take part in an encounter built around dignity and companionship. The event also carries a wider message that concern for the environment and concern for people, especially those facing poverty and exclusion, must remain part of the same mission.