The Vatican experienced an atypical day on the occasion of  Pope Leo XIV’s 71st birthday . Far from halting the machinery of the Holy See—where birthdays are not official holidays and major celebrations are reserved for the feast day of the patron saint—the pontiff maintained his normal morning schedule.

The day began at the Apostolic Library, where he inaugurated the exhibition  “Aqua, Catastrophe and Wonder .” Addressing his collaborators, the Pope emotionally evoked the memory of his mother as a librarian, noting with a mixture of providence and divine good humor the fact that he was celebrating his birthday surrounded by ancient volumes. There, amidst applause, a candle on a cake, and a heartfelt ”  Happy Birthday” sung in Italian, the pontiff took the opportunity to announce the expansion of both the library and the Vatican Archives.

But the real gift wasn’t for him, but for his collaborators. In a gesture of institutional warmth, Leo XIV decided  to revoke the salary reduction measure  implemented by Francis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the measure is not retroactive, it immediately restores the regular salaries of the cardinals of the Curia and the heads of the dicasteries, officially closing the chapter on the economic impact of the health emergency.

Memory, rest and the geopolitics of peace

The previous weekend was marked by somberness and historical remembrance. On the  25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks , the first American Pope in history issued a strong global appeal to work and pray for peace, paying tribute to the victims and those who still bear the insurmountable pain of that tragedy.

Having fulfilled his weekend obligations, the weekly routine continues as usual: as is now customary, the Pope left the Vatican in the late afternoon for  Castel Gandolfo . This ecological oasis—equipped with tennis courts, horses, and a heated pool that allows him to swim even in the heart of autumn—serves as his refuge during his day off on Tuesdays, before returning to Vatican City for the general audience on Wednesday.

An autumn full of challenges lies on the horizon

After the summer break, the pontificate of Leo XIV enters a phase of maximum political and pastoral intensity. The immediate calendar includes events of enormous symbolic and diplomatic weight:

• Apostolic Journey to France (September 25):  Official visit to Paris—the first by a Pope in a state capacity since 2008—with a key stop at  UNESCO headquarters  to deliver a speech on contemporary culture. The journey will also include the spiritual fervor of  Lourdes  and the European outreach from  Metz .
• Meeting on  Amoris Laetitia  (October):  A crucial summit with the presidents of episcopal conferences from around the world to assess the impact and future path of the flagship document of the previous pontificate.
• Apostolic Journey to Latin America (November):  An extraordinary 12-day trip that will include  Peru  —land where he resided for many years—,  Argentina  (in what will mark the long-awaited visit of a pontiff to the country) and  Uruguay .
• Consistory rumors:  In Vatican circles, expectations are growing stronger regarding the possible convening of the  first consistory for the creation of cardinals , a move that will clearly define the main lines and trusted figures of the current ecclesiastical leadership.

Summer is over, and the coming weeks promise to redefine the pulse of Leo XIV’s papacy on the international stage.