Pope Leo XIV receives a drawing from a girl participating in the "Estate Ragazzi in Vatican" summer camp on July 3, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican MediaACI Prensa Staff, Jul 3, 2025 / 14:00 pm (CNA).Pope Leo XIV visited the Paul VI Hall on Thursday to meet with about 310 children and adolescents participating in the "Estate Ragazzi in Vaticano" (summer camp for kids at the Vatican).In addition, another 300 children and adolescents from Ukraine, hosted by Caritas Italy during the summer, participated in the encounter with Pope Leo XIV.Pope Leo XIV meets with children and adolescents participating in the "Estate Ragazzi in Vatican" summer camp on July 3, 2025, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican MediaThis is the sixth edition of this summer camp for the children of employees of the Holy See. The theme this year is "When the Other Person Is Everything."On July 3, shortly before noon, at the end of the audiences, the Holy Father continued with the tradition of visiting these l...
Pope Leo XIV receives a drawing from a girl participating in the "Estate Ragazzi in Vatican" summer camp on July 3, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media
ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 3, 2025 / 14:00 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV visited the Paul VI Hall on Thursday to meet with about 310 children and adolescents participating in the "Estate Ragazzi in Vaticano" (summer camp for kids at the Vatican).
In addition, another 300 children and adolescents from Ukraine, hosted by Caritas Italy during the summer, participated in the encounter with Pope Leo XIV.
Pope Leo XIV meets with children and adolescents participating in the "Estate Ragazzi in Vatican" summer camp on July 3, 2025, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican Media
This is the sixth edition of this summer camp for the children of employees of the Holy See. The theme this year is "When the Other Person Is Everything."
On July 3, shortly before noon, at the end of the audiences, the Holy Father continued with the tradition of visiting these little ones. He was received by the summer camp volunteers and later he spoke with the children, responding to some questions.
As he spoke with them, the pope shared some memories from his childhood, such as attending Mass, where he met other children and friends, but above all "the best friend of all, Jesus," the Holy See said in a statement.
Pope Leo XIV receives a drawing from a participant in the "Estate Ragazzi in Vatican" summer camp on July 3, 2025, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican Media
The pontiff also spoke about diversity and acceptance, and offered a few words of welcome in English to the Ukrainian children, emphasizing that "it's important to respect one another, look beyond differences, to build bridges, create friendship; we can all be friends, brothers, sisters."
Responding to a question about war, he explained that even from a young age, it is necessary to learn to be builders of peace and friendship, to not get into wars or conflicts, and to never promote hatred or envy.
He noted that "Jesus calls us all to be friends" and advised the children to "learn from a young age to have mutual respect, to see the other person as someone like myself."
Pope Leo XIV meets with Ukrainian children who were welcomed by Caritas Italy during the summer on July 3, 2025, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican Media
The children and adolescents offered the Holy Father some gifts they had made during the summer camp as well as drawings and artwork made by the Ukrainian children and adolescents.
At the end of the encounter, after taking group photos with them, Pope Leo XIV invited them to pray the Hail Mary together and gave his blessing to all those present.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
USCCB President Archbishop Timothy Broglio speaks at the bishops' spring meeting, Thursday, June 13, 2024. / Credit: USCCBCNA Staff, Jul 3, 2025 / 18:38 pm (CNA).The U.S. House of Representatives passed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" on Thursday, just in time for President Donald Trump to schedule his signing into law of the controversial bill on the Fourth of July.Following the bill's passage, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), issued a statement lamenting "the great harm the bill will cause to many of the most vulnerable in society."Specifically, Broglio faulted the legislation for including "unconscionable cuts to health care and food assistance, tax cuts that increase inequality, immigration provisions that harm families and children, and cuts to programs that protect God's creation."Broglio also expressed disappointment over several "positive aspects" of the bill in the final version approved on Thursday that were ei...
Federal Reserve Bank of New York. / Credit: Velkiira, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsCNA Staff, Jul 3, 2025 / 11:48 am (CNA).A federal appeals court has revived a Catholic worker's lawsuit against the Federal Reserve Bank of New York over the bank's having fired her for refusing to take a COVID-19 vaccine on religious grounds. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in its Wednesday ruling partially reversed the findings of a district court, which had dismissed former Federal Reserve executive assistant Jeanette Diaz's lawsuit against the bank over her 2022 dismissal. Diaz had argued that the bank's policy requiring vaccination against COVID-19 would violate her Catholic faith, citing her opposition to vaccines "created using human cell lines derived from abortion." The worker had asked her pastor in the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, to sign a letter on her behalf affirming her refusal on religious grounds, though her pastor "refused" to do so, ...
Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ (right), leads a press conference announcing the Mass for the Care of Creation at the Vatican on Thursday, July 3, 2025. / Credit: Hannah Brockhaus/CNAVatican City, Jul 3, 2025 / 12:18 pm (CNA).The Vatican on Thursday presented new Mass prayers and biblical readings to be used to support the Church's appreciation for God's creation.The "Mass for the Care of Creation," inspired by Pope Francis' environmental encyclical Laudato Si', has prayers and Mass readings designed "to ask God for the ability to care for creation," Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, said at a July 3 presentation."With this Mass, the Church is offering liturgical, spiritual, and communal support for the care we all need to exercise of nature, our common home. Such service is indeed a great act of faith, hope, and charity," the cardinal added.The "Mass for the Care of Creation" is part of the Catholic Church's Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions. It can be celebrated on a ...
Pope Leo XIV receives a drawing from a girl participating in the "Estate Ragazzi in Vatican" summer camp on July 3, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media
