July marks the beginning of Pope Francis’s summer break from receiving guests and holding public talks. However, the Holy Father’s schedule is set to become much busier in the coming months. Recently, he also reflected on the historic trip he made to Lampedusa ten years ago, which highlighted the plight of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea.

Back on July 8th, 2013, Pope Francis made his first trip of his pontificate to Lampedusa, intentionally drawing attention to the dangerous journeys faced by migrants. According to the International Migration Organization, over 14,000 people have died in the Mediterranean Sea trying to migrate to Europe since 2014. Pope Francis remembered this trip in a letter to the Archbishop of Agrigento, Sicily, stressing the importance of not being silent or indifferent to these “silent massacres.”

Looking ahead, the Pope has a busy travel itinerary planned. In August, he will attend World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, from the 2nd to the 6th, with a brief stopover in Fatima for prayer. Towards the end of August, he will travel to Mongolia, from August 31st to September 4th. Later in September, he will visit Marseille, France, where he will meet with young people from an ecumenical group to discuss issues affecting the Mediterranean region.

In Rome, two significant events are scheduled for the coming months. On September 30th, Pope Francis has called for a consistory for the creation of new Cardinals, with some surprise picks, including an auxiliary bishop from Lisbon and the Archbishop of Jerusalem. Following this event, the first of two installments of the Synod on Synodality will take place throughout October, with the second installment set for 2024.

As Pope Francis takes a brief summer break, he remains focused on important global issues and looks forward to engaging with various communities in the months ahead.