After the summer break spent at Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV resumes the Wednesday general audiences, exceptionally held inside St. Peter's Basilica rather than in the square, to protect the faithful and pilgrims from the extremely high temperatures of these days. The Pope entered on foot, walking the entire central nave, shaking hands and receiving gifts from those present, greeted by long, warm applause on arrival under Bernini's baldachin. The catechesis, dedicated to Sacrosanctum Concilium, focused on the Liturgy of the Hours: the Pope recalled that it "asks to be increasingly welcomed and lived in the ordinary life of the baptized" and can offer "the path and school of Christian prayer" to those who wish to learn to pray, describing every Hour as "an act of hope" as we await the Lord's return. He also noted that prayer is not "a form of escapism" nor "a technique aimed at well-being," and invited French-speaking faithful to use the summer to spend more time with the Lord in prayer. Greeting pilgrims, including Polish groups walking to Jasna Góra, he assured: "Together with you I pray for peace in the world and for new priestly and religious vocations." It is the Pontiff's first major public appointment since returning to the Vatican on July 27, before departing again on August 13 for the mid-August (Ferragosto) period at Castel Gandolfo.