Pope Leo XIV urges Italians to rediscover their faith during prayer before remains of St. Augustine

Pope Leo XIV encouraged Italians to reconnect with their Catholic faith during a visit to Pavia, where he prayed before the relics of St. Augustine. The Pope, who considers the fifth-century saint an intellectual and spiritual guide, emphasized Augustine's importance to his own pontificate.

Traveling by helicopter to the San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro basilica, Leo prayed before the saint's remains. This visit to Pavia was a key stop on his summer 2026 grand tour of Italy, a series of day trips designed for the American pontiff to familiarize himself with his new flock.

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At a time when many people seem to have lost their spiritual appetite or, for various reasons, no longer find the Christian faith appealing for their lives, we are called first and foremost to proclaim the Gospel.

In his address to the faithful, Pope Leo XIV acknowledged the secularizing trends in Italy and across Europe, where churches have seen declining attendance and fewer people participating in Mass or getting married in the church. He urged Italians to rediscover their faith, pointing to Augustine's life and conversion as a model for contemporary believers.

The Pope also visited Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, the birthplace of Mother Frances Cabrini, the patron saint of migrants. Cabrini, who became a naturalized U.S. citizen and died in Chicago, was the first American saint, canonized in 1946.

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His thought, the story of his conversion, and his spirituality remind us of the value and primacy of interiority.