Top photo caption: Pope Leo XIV walks down to assist an elderly priest who collapsed at the end of the pontiff’s weekly general audience in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican May 27, 2026. The priest was 81-year-old Father Diego Semeraro, from the southern Italian region of Puglia, who felt faint due to the strong heat in Rome on the day of the audience. OSV News photo/Alessia Giuliani, CPP
By Vatican News, OSV News
VATICAN CITY Vatican News – When a priest collapsed in St. Peter’s Square at the end of the general audience May 27, Pope Leo XIV rushed to his aid.
The priest was 81-year-old Father Diego Semeraro, from the southern Italian region of Puglia who felt faint due to the strong heat in Rome on the day of the audience.
As soon as the elderly priest fell, Pope Leo hurried over, descending from the platform where he had been greeting pilgrims and kneeling down next to Father Semeraro to see if he was all right.
Father Semeraro, who is celebrating the 60th anniversary year of his ordination, had traveled to Rome with his brother Father Franco Semeraro to present Pope Leo with a photo album containing photographs of relics of St. Augustine, taken when the relics arrived in his hometown of Martina Franca about 20 years ago.
“It was an extraordinary thing,” Father Franco, his brother, told Vatican News, describing the event.
As the pair approached the platform for the traditional handshake with the Pope that occurs at the end of the general audience, Father Diego began to feel ill.
“After standing three hours in the sun, my brother felt faint, he fell quite badly, and now he’s a bit sore, but thank God he is fine now,” Father Franco explained.
Pope Leo XIV “was the first to kneel down and go help him,” Father Franco said, describing the surprise of Father Diego himself, who exclaimed, “Your Holiness, is that really you?”
The Pope then shook his hand and gave him a rosary. After the incident, the priest was taken to the Vatican emergency room for an examination, which reportedly showed no problems.
Father Diego later had lunch after the general audience and celebrated Mass.
It was not the first time that Father Diego, who will turn 82 in June, has experienced strong emotions in St. Peter’s Square. In 1970, he was ordained a priest in the square by St. Paul VI.
Father Diego served Holy Family Parish in Martina Franca in Puglia for years with dedicated service.
This story was originally published by Vatican News and distributed through a partnership with OSV News. Courtney Mares, the Vatican editor for OSV News, contributed to this report.
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