When he was prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost used to take long walks through the Borgo neighborhood in Rome. He lived in a simple apartment on Via di Porta Angelica until less than two months ago, when he moved to another apartment building reserved for high-ranking Vatican officials in the Sant’Uffizio (Holy Office) building where the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith is now located.
In this central Roman neighborhood, just steps from St. Peter’s Square, he also frequented the Omega Fitness Club, which since May 8 — when he was elected pope — has become the most famous gym in Rome.
Last week, like all the residents in the area, the gym’s president and founder, Alessandro Tamburlani, ran to St. Peter’s Square as soon as he heard about the white smoke. His joy was even greater when he saw one of the registered members of his fitness center appear on the balcony.
“I won’t hide the fact that I cheered wildly,” Tamburlani said with emotion and pride. “My joy was doubled or tripled. Joy to finally have a new Holy Father after the obligatory period of mourning we went through. And joy also to know that he’s a good person and, moreover, someone we all already knew here at the gym.”
The then-Cardinal Prevost — who, as is well known, is also a tennis player — spent his free time on the cardio machines, his favorite exercise. He sometimes also used the stationary bikes and treadmills designed to improve cardiovascular endurance and burn calories.
“He was a person like so many other members. He dressed like everyone else, in simple gym clothes. He was often accompanied by his assistant so he could work out,” he related.
An athletic pope
Tamburlani didn’t hide his enthusiasm when he noted that having an athletic pope really showcases the need to lead a healthy life. “He’s a shining light that allows us all to say that, if he can do it, we can all manage to take care of ourselves and exercise,” he pointed out.
He said Leo XIV’s lifestyle can be a model for all: “In the modern life we lead, always in a hurry, too busy for our own good, he invites us to be aware of our bodies and begin to take control of them, guiding them toward an excellent experience that combines spirituality and sports training.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
