Pope Francis established a strong reputation as a workaholic, a tendency that he followed to the point of working from his hospital room earlier this year while deathly ill. But this July, Pope Leo XIV will be drawing attention to the merits of leisure. On Sunday, the pope will head to the town of Castel Gandolfo to begin a two-week-long vacation, staying at the centuries-old Vatican estate that is situated on the slopes of Lake Albano, a crater lake. He will not stay in the main papal palace but rather will stay in the smaller Villa Barberini. The palace will remain open to tourists during his vacation; Pope Francis opened the palace to the public in 2014. Reports have been swirling for weeks about updates to the property that the pope has ordered in preparation for his stay. For instance, the building that will house the Swiss Guard has been renovated. But also, there is talk of preparations that are being made for the 69-year-old pope’s recreational activities. Italian media outlets reported seeing the construction of a padel court at the Castel Gandolfo estate. Padel is a racket sport increasingly popular in Europe that is played on an enclosed court smaller than that which is used in tennis. The Vatican, however, explained that the construction project was instead the building of a tennis court. The Roman pontiff has frequently expressed a love for tennis. He told the Order of Saint Augustine when he took on his role of prefect for the Dicastery of Bishops that he considers himself to be an amateur player and that he was looking forward to playing more frequently on Rome’s courts. In addition to the reports of the construction of the tennis court, there have also been rumors in the Italian media that preparations are underway for horses to be brought to Castel Gandolfo for the pope to ride. The Vatican neither confirmed nor denied those reports. Past popes have also engaged in recreational pursuits and stressed the importance of vacations. Pope John Paul II installed a swimming pool at Castel Gandolfo and was in fact photographed during a swim. He went on to go skiing more than 100 times during his papacy. “Through the recreation and leisure made possible by travel,” Pope John Paul II said, “people are restored and renewed, body and spirit. They return home to family and work with a new perspective and enthusiasm for life.” Pope Benedict also spoke at length on the spiritual merits of vacation. He spoke once of his wish for summer vacations to provide those who enjoy them with a strengthened mind and body. “For many,” Pope Benedict said, “vacation time becomes a profitable occasion for cultural contacts, for prolonged moments of prayer and of contemplation in contact with nature or in monasteries and religious structures. Having more free time, one can dedicate oneself more easily to conversation with God, meditation on Sacred Scripture, and reading some useful, formative book. Those who experience this spiritual repose know how useful it is not to reduce vacations to mere relaxation and amusement.” Pope Leo has recounted that his other favored recreational pursuits include taking long walks and spending time in nature. READ MORE from Ellie Gardey Holmes: 36,000 Preschools Shut Down in China in Sign of Total Doom Supreme Court Saves Religious Parents From Radical LGBTQ Indoctrination of Their Children Jen Psaki Fawns Over Zohran Mamdani The post %POSTLINK% appeared first on %BLOGLINK%.