A lapsed Catholic’s pilgrimage to meet the new pope

Saturday, 19 July 2025

Pope Leo XIV delivers his first Angelus – a 15-minute Catholic prayer - in Castel Gandolfo. The writer, Sarah Catherall, is waving from the balcony second from the far right.

At 11.45am on Sunday, the chanting for Pope Leo begins. As clouds scuttle across the sky and the heavens threaten to literally open, more than 8000 people wait with anticipation in a small town above an Italian lake to get a glimpse of the new Pope as he proceeds along a cobblestoned street to a square to deliver his first Angelus – a 15-minute Catholic prayer.

I haven’t seen such fervor since I went to the Coldplay concert in November, when everyone was calling out for Chris Martin.

This time, the rock star is the new 69-year-old pope, an American who speaks five languages, and spent a lot of his spiritual career as a missionary and bishop in Peru. Among the local and international media I’m with on a balcony overlooking a 17th century Italian square in Castel Gandolfo, he is also known as Sporty Pope, because he likes to play tennis and regularly frequents the Vatican gym.

Born Robert Francis Prevost in 1955 in Chicago, he studied a maths and philosophy degree while training to be a priest. Officially, he’s Papa Leone XIV, the 267th Bishop of Rome. Known globally as Pope Leo, he’s considered by Catholics to be the holiest man in the world, with a direct line to God and Saint Peter.

The last Pope – the late Pope Francis – was loved by many, and known for being humble. Three months since Pope Leo was elected, Pope Francis’ face still dons Vatican trinketry - the fridge magnets, calendars and postcards sold to tourists around Rome. Pope Francis never went to the summer Papal residence at Castel Gandolfo, shunned most of the perks of the job, and even moved out of the Papal apartments in the Vatican city.

Pope Leo is already proving to be different. He’s hanging out at one of the Vatican properties, a 17th century villa in Castel Gandolfo for a couple of weeks in July – for prayer, planning and reflection - and he’ll also return for a weekend in August. Another fun fact about him is that he apparently stays up till 3am sending WhatsApp messages.

Robert Prevost, known globally as Pope Leo, is considered by Catholics to be the holiest man in the world, with a direct line to God and Saint Peter.

For the past 400 years, since 1626, popes have been coming to the 17th century Apostolic Palace and its residences like Villa Barberini where Pope Leo will stay. The papal properties sit on a hilltop southeast of Rome, with a calming view of Lake Albano.

The security to get into the area to glimpse the Pope is intense: police cars and guards are everywhere. We arrived an hour before the noon Angelus began, and that felt too late. Catholics were already crowding the streets and I had to get security clearance for entry, sending an image of my passport to the Vatican press office a few days earlier.

A nun takes a photo - some tried to skip the queue.

On the narrow streets, I’ve never seen so many nuns and they’re clambering to see the Pope. They’re dressed in white, brown, and blue dresses, veils (habits) draping over their shoulders, colours representing the different factions of the church, or their allegiances, or their vows (such as white for purity). Steve, my partner, is in the crowd, and he texts me a smiley face and a message: “The naughty nuns are trying to bypass the security line to get closer to the front.’’

A couple of minutes before noon, security guards and police rush about, talking to one another via phones and earpieces. Cardinals – considered princes of the Catholic church – are the Pope’s advisors and they’re dressed in black gowns with crimson caps. A couple of cardinals float around near the palace entrance.

The Pope still hasn’t come out of the palace. Finally, at noon, there are roars and shrieks as the Pope emerges in the door in his white papal gown. Photographers click on the balcony, and a Reuters photographer stands on a stool to get a better shot, while the official Vatican video camera whirs with a live stream.

Many of those here today are known as ‘pilgrims’, making “pilgrimages’’ (spiritual journeys) to the Holy City. This year, more than 30 million Catholic pilgrims are expected to go to Rome because it’s Jubilee year – a special time in Catholic tradition, with the 2025 theme: “Pilgrims of Hope’’, a call for hope in a world facing growing challenges. (Rome has issued a warning about the onslaught of tourists this year.)

Sarah Catherall attends Pope Leo's first Angelus in the Italian town of Castel Gandolfo.

Pope Leo delivers the Angelus prayer – all in Italian – and then a short speech. He acknowledges all the pilgrims who have come today: a church parish from Colombia and one from Peru, Augustinian nuns, a Scout group, 100 military cadets, and a children’s choir from France. He talks about a youth film festival about to start.

“I greet the pilgrims from the parish of San Pedro Apóstol in the Diocese of Alcalá de Henares, who are celebrating the 400th anniversary of the parish’s foundation,’’ he says, and a couple of dozen people in matching San Pedro Apostol T-shirts cheer.

And then as quickly as it all began, it’s over, with Pope Leo’s final words. “Brothers and sisters, let us not forget to pray for peace and for all those who, because of violence or war, find themselves in a state of suffering and need. I wish all of you a happy Sunday.’’

After the speech, he spends 10 minutes walking around, shaking hands, smiling and waving, including to us media up on the balcony. I must have been only 30 metres away from him, and for those near the front who glimpsed him up close, that would have been incredible.

Back home, my maternal aunts are excited I’m seeing the Pope. I’m on a media pass, made easier thanks to a family connection with Cardinal John Dew, the Catholic church leader in New Zealand. My late mother and her six siblings were family friends with the Dew family in Waipukurau. Mum went to the same Catholic primary school as the now cardinal, who worked in a bank and studied horticulture before choosing a spiritual career.

I’m no longer a practising Catholic but I come from a devout Catholic family. My late great uncle, Mum’s uncle Bernard, was Father Atkins, who spent his later years at St Mary’s Church (Hāto Mere Church) at Otaki. I remember him as the smiley priest who visited us when we were kids with ice blocks wrapped in newspaper.

The day before I saw the Pope, I visited the Sistine Chapel where cardinals in the conclave chose him in May, including Cardinal John Dew. They spent a day and a half in the beautiful chapel with the frescoes painted by Michelangelo, praying, and after four ballots, chose Pope Leo.

Afterwards, I toured St Peter’s Basilica, considered by Catholics as one of the most holy places and the largest church in the world. Whenever I step into a Catholic church, I light a candle for Mum, who passed away three years ago. I carry coins to make an offering. But at St Peter’s, they’ve gone high-tech. Just as you can listen to an audio tour on your phone, candles and offerings can now only be made via credit card. I tap my Visa, and a candle lights up.

Two days in Vatican land allows me to reconnect with the religion I grew up with. Pope Leo seems like a modern Pope who has a strong sense of justice, and it was a special experience to go on my own pilgrimage to see him.