Can the Church Reconnect With Europe?

If the schedule imposed by the 2025 Jubilee made Pope Leo something of a “prisoner of the Vatican,” the first half of 2026 has provided much greater opportunity to travel. The summer promises more—namely, travel to key locations for the Church on the old continent. After returning from Spain, his first multiday European trip as pope, Leo headed for Sant’Angelo Lodigiano, Italy, the birthplace of St. Frances Cabrini, to be followed by Pavia, Italy, where the relics of St. Augustine are venerated. Then it’s on to Lampedusa on July 4, followed by Assisi on August 6 (for the eight-hundredth anniversary of the death of St. Francis); Rimini on August 22 (for the annual meeting of the Communion and Liberation movement); and, in late September, France.