In reply to journalists’ questions last night as he left Castel Gandolfo, which he now regularly visits, Pope Leo XIV described what his typical Tuesday day off is like.
The pontiff shared that he does “a little reading, a little work. Every day there is correspondence, phone calls; there are some matters that are perhaps more important, more recent. A little tennis, a little swimming.”
A passionate tennis fan since childhood, the Holy Father in May receivedat the Vatican Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, currently ranked second in the world (behind Carlos Alcaraz) and at that time was ranked first.
When asked why he needs these moments of rest, Leo XIV emphasized on Nov. 19 that “to take good care of yourself, human beings… everyone, should do some activity for the body, the soul, all together.”
“I think it does me a lot of good. So it’s a time, a break during the week that helps a lot,” he said.
The Holy Father also addressed other topics with the journalists, such as the situation in Ukraine; his possible travel destinations, which include Peru, Portugal, and Mexico; the situation of migrants in the United States and the American bishops’ call to respect them; the massacres of Christians and Muslims in Nigeria; and the abuse allegations against a Spanish bishop, who insists on his innocence.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
