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Pope Leo XIV Inaugurates the Borgo Laudato Si’

On Friday, September 5, Pope Leo XIV inaugurated the Borgo Laudato Si’ in Castel Gandolfo. Present at the inauguration were Sister Raffaella Petrini, President of the Governorate, along with the two Secretaries General, Archbishop Emilio Nappa and Atty. Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi.


In a chirograph dated February 2, 2023, Pope Francis outlined the reasons that inspired the establishment of the Borgo Laudato Si’. In particular, he wrote that it was his intention to create “a tangible model of thought, structure and action,” to be called Borgo Laudato Si’. “A forum for dialogue and an example of change, this initiative will be located within the endowments, appurtenances and dependencies of the Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo (cf. Lateran Treaty, Annex II, 5), without in any way altering or modifying the overall nature of this property of the Holy See, as established by Article 14 of the Lateran Treaty (Annex II, 4) and defined by customs and various provisions of my Venerable Predecessors.”

The Pontiff went on to explain that “in order to animate the life and works of the Borgo Laudato Si’,” he was establishing the Centro di Alta Formazione Laudato Si’ (Laudato Si’ Center for Advanced Training) as “a scientific, educational and social organization, working for integral formation, with its registered office in Vatican City State and its main operational headquarters in the Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo.”

He further decreed that the Centro di Alta Formazione Laudato Si’, under the jurisdiction of the Governorate of Vatican City State, would be governed by its “own Statutes,” which he simultaneously approved.

A Delegation of the Vatican City State at the 28th Universal Postal Congress

From September 8 to 19, 2025, the 28th Universal Postal Congress—the supreme decision-making body of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), which meets every four years—will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Representatives from the 192 member countries will attend, with the goal of defining the organization’s future strategy and establishing rules for international postal exchanges.

New Deputy Director for the Vatican Health and Hygiene Directorate

On 1 September, Paolo Maurizio Soave, was appointed as Deputy Director of the Vatican’s department of Health and Hygiene for a five-year term. He takes the position left vacant by Dr. Luigi Carbone, who, as of 1 August, succeeded Professor Andrea Arcangeli as Director, following the latter’s retirement upon reaching the age limit.

Peace Shines Through Gold: The Vatican Honored at the COTY 2025

The Vatican Mint proudly celebrates an important international recognition: the 50-euro gold coin “War and Peace,” minted in 2024, has won the Best Gold Coin award at the 2025 COTY (Coin of the Year) Awards, announced on August 21 during the World’s Fair of Money in Oklahoma City, USA.

This success honours not only technical and artistic excellence, but also the strength of the universal message conveyed by the coin: the contrast between war and peace, rendered with great sensitivity by artist Chiara Principe, who has been collaborating with the Vatican since 2013 in the creation of coins and stamps on a wide variety of themes, always with outstanding results.

Interview with Chiara Principe, Coin Artist for the Vatican City State Mint

Inspiration, study, technique and experience

For the first time in the history of the Vatican City State’s numismatic issues, the artistic and creative process behind a coin was carried out entirely on a computer, without using pencils, paper, or sculpting materials, but only the stylus of a graphic tablet. Through this innovative technical approach, the 2024 50-euro gold coin themed “War and Peace” was created. This coin won the Best Gold Coin category of the prestigious international Coin of the Year (COTY) 2025 awards. Achieving this important recognition was the result of a team effort, as explained in this interview by Chiara Principe with www.vaticanstate.va, the designer who has been collaborating with the Vatican City State Mint for thirteen years in coin design.

Interview with Father Felice Bruno, Head of the Vatican Postal and Philatelic Service

New Issues Between Faith and Art

Anniversaries, major historical events, and liturgical celebrations—many occasions find their place in the stamp issue calendar of the Postal and Philatelic Service of the Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems of the Governorate. Such is the case with the two stamps scheduled to release on Sunday, September 7, for the canonization of Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis, with four sovereign States jointly issuing these values. Father Felice Bruno, Head of the Postal and Philatelic Service, speaks about this in an interview with www.vaticanstate.va.

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