The Pope’s holidays are almost over. With trips, sport and concerts, Leone is gearing up for a busy autumn

Three weeks at the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo, on Lake Albano. Prayer, reading and “let’s hope for a bit of sport”, the Pope had said as he greeted the crowd waiting for him in the small town in Lazio on 5 July to mark the start of his holidays. He did take part in some sport (tennis and swimming), and he had time to check that the horses being looked after there were well. And, as he had announced, he also went on a few trips out of town. First to Montecassino, with a prayer at the tomb of St Benedict and lunch with the Benedictine community. Then to the Sanctuary of the Holy Trinity in Vallepietra, and on to Subiaco, where he meditated before the 13th-century fresco of St Francis and in the Sacro Speco, before enjoying a convivial gathering at the monastery of St Scholastica.

In between, a lunch with a group of vulnerable people from the Diocese of Rome and an evening concert of symphonic music hosted by the Diocese of Albano. A three-week break, though not a complete one: he is always reachable; even at the swimming pool there are communication devices. On Sunday, it’s back to Rome, barring any last-minute changes (as happened last year). It won’t be the mountain holidays of the mountaineer Wojtyla, but it’s something close to that: to tackle schisms, malicious gossip and underhand attacks, one needs to recharge one’s batteries.