Vatican Installs 2025 Christmas Tree in St. Peter’s Square
Vatican’s 2025 Christmas tree installed in St. Peter’s Square A towering Christmas tree now stands in the center of St. Peter’s Square, after the spruce arrived at the Vatican on Thursday morning. The 88-foot-tall spruce tree from Italy’s Bolzano province was erected next to the ancient Egyptian obelisk which stands in the middle of the […]
Pope Leo: Turkish Catholics Called to ‘Logic of Littleness’
Pope Leo reminds Turkish Catholic minority of the ‘logic of littleness’ Pope Leo XIV encouraged Turkey’s small Catholic community Friday to rediscover what he called the Gospel’s “logic of littleness,” urging them not to be discouraged by their tiny numbers but to recognize in them the strength of authentic Christian witness. The pope addressed bishops, […]
Thanksgiving Gifts for Pope Leo XIV on Papal Flight
Pies and a baseball bat: The gifts Pope Leo XIV received on the papal flight to Turkey Aboard the papal plane on Thanksgiving Day, Pope Leo XIV kicked off his first international trip — a visit to Turkey — with distinctly American gifts: a baseball bat and pumpkin pie. “To the Americans here, Happy Thanksgiving!” […]
Pope Leo Denounces ‘Might Is Right’ in Turkey
Pope Leo denounces ‘might is right’ in address to Turkish authorities Pope Leo XIV opened his first international trip on Thursday with a sweeping call for unity, renewed dialogue, and a rejection of the global drift toward division and violence. Speaking in Turkey’s capital of Ankara on Nov. 27 during his formal welcome by President […]
How Vatican City Is Governed: Inside the Tiny State
Vatican City: How the world’s smallest state is governed The Vatican, the smallest state in the world, possesses a unique and complex legal, administrative, and spiritual structure designed to guarantee the independence of the pope and allow the Church to act freely throughout the world. Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, secretary of the Dicastery for Legislative […]
Pope Leo XIV Focuses on Unity in Turkey and Lebanon
Pope Leo XIV to focus on Christian unity, relations with Islam in Turkey and Lebanon Pope Leo XIV arrived in Turkey Thursday on his first international apostolic journey. The wide-ranging trip — spanning historic ecumenical encounters, deeply symbolic gestures of prayer, and pastoral visits to Christian communities under pressure — is expected to highlight the […]
9 Historic Sites Pope Leo XIV Will Visit in Turkey, Lebanon
9 historic religious sites Pope Leo XIV will visit in Turkey, Lebanon Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming apostolic journey to Turkey and Lebanon holds both spiritual and historical significance for the Catholic Church and its relations with the Orthodox Church as well as with Islam. From Nov. 27 — Dec. 2, Pope Leo will visit these […]
How John XXIII Helped Shape Vatican
How the man who became Pope John XXIII helped shape Vatican-Turkey relations Pope Leo XIV’s journey to Turkey and Lebanon carries significant historical and diplomatic symbolism. His decision to make the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk his first stop immediately recalls the legacy of his predecessor, St. John XXIII, who became a cultural and spiritual […]
Pope Leo XIV Reforms Oversight of Vatican Basilicas
Pope Leo centralizes oversight of St. Peter’s and St. Mary Major basilicas Pope Leo XIV has issued a new decree revising the financial and administrative norms governing the basilicas of St. Peter and St. Mary Major, bringing both institutions under the ordinary oversight of the Vatican’s Council for the Economy, in the latest act of […]
Pope Leo centralizes oversight of Two Roman Major Basilicas
Pope Leo centralizes oversight of Two Roman Major Basilicas Pope Leo XIV has issued a new decree revising the financial and administrative norms governing the basilicas of St. Peter and St. Mary Major, bringing both institutions under the ordinary oversight of the Vatican’s Council for the Economy, in the latest act of fine-tuning of economic […]
