A Rainy Night Invitation at Castel Gandolfo
On a rainy Tuesday night in the Roman town of Castel Gandolfo, the weekly retreat of Pope Leo XIV, five faithful devotees waited for hours to greet him and extend a special invitation: to visit the Canary Islands. “That would be very beautiful,” the Pope responded upon hearing their proposal. As one of the faithful said to him upon his departure from the palace, “We would love to see you in the Canaries,” the pontiff replied succinctly and with a smile, “Ah, that would be very beautiful.”
Dedication in the Downpour
The five faithful—four women and one man—had remained at the gates of the Villa Barberini in Castel Gandolfo for hours despite the cold and intermittent rain. They were equipped with both a Spanish flag and a flag of the Canary Islands, a testament to their mission. Mario, one of the group members, explained to EFE the significance of their request: “It would mean a great deal to us, especially considering that Pope Francis had shown interest. For Pope Leo to come would be very exciting for Canarians and, above all, to shed light on the situation we are facing.”
The Pilgrimage to the Papal Path
Mario had driven his mother and some friends to Castel Gandolfo, located about 30 kilometers south of Rome. He admitted to spending “hours searching for the location on Google Maps” to find the exact spot on the papal route—a specific gated door opposite the palace. “You look for this on Google and it doesn’t show up,” he said with a laugh, recalling their search for a pedestrian crossing “without a pavement and with a metal fence.”
A Journey of Hope and Pastries
After arriving in Rome, the group decided to travel to the town of Castel Gandolfo by train. From there, it was just a short walk of “about 15 minutes” to the spot where they hoped to see Pope Leo XIV up close. “We wanted to take the opportunity to try and see the Pope, to also tell him about the migration situation in the Canaries, and to bring him a little gift,” detailed Mario, who was in Italy with his mother and three other family friends for the Jubilee.
Their gift was a box of traditional pastries from the Canary Islands, specifically from Tenerife: the puff pastry ‘Pasteles de Doña Paula’. They assured him these pastries have a tradition spanning more than 200 years and are a staple during Christmas. “There isn’t a home where you won’t find them,” Mario’s mother confirmed.
Mission Accomplished
In the end, their patience and dedication paid off. Not only did they manage to see Pope Leo XIV up close, but they were also able to successfully convey their heartfelt wish for him to visit the Canary Islands, making their rainy pilgrimage a memorable success.
