Italy continues to endure its fourth heatwave of the summer. In Rome, temperatures reached 38°C (100°F) today, with the feels-like temperature climbing to 42°C (108°F).

Following a brief respite in July, Pope Leo held his regular Wednesday general audience, meeting Catholic faithful who had traveled to Rome from dozens of countries around the world.

Because of the extreme heat, however, the pontiff decided to hold the audience inside St. Peter’s Basilica rather than in St. Peter’s Square, where it is normally held. The American pope met and blessed approximately 5,000 pilgrims, most of them from Poland.

🙏🇻🇦 A beautiful welcome home for Pope Leo XIV!

Today, August 5, the Holy Father resumed his weekly General Audiences following the July summer break, joyfully gathering once again with pilgrims and faithful from around the world. Due to the intense Roman summer heat, the… pic.twitter.com/vN6CMxJdF8— SG News (@SGNews123) August 5, 2026

Meanwhile, the Vatican Press Office announced today that Pope Leo XIV will make his next apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from November 6 to November 17.

During the trip, the head of the Roman Catholic Church will also visit the city of Chiclayo, Peru, where he served as bishop from 2015 to 2023. This will be the fifth apostolic journey of his pontificate.