Select your language
Select your language
An international scientific conference on “Black holes, gravitational waves and space-time singularities” will be held at Castel Gandolfo from 17 to 21 June to celebrate the legacy of Msgr. Georges Lemaître (1894-1966), the Belgian physicist who developed what is now known as the Big Bang theory. The conference is promoted by the Vatican Observatory, the scientific body of the Governorate, and supported by the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), one of Italy’s most important public research institutes.
On the occasion of the world renowned Festival dei Due Mondi, the Musical Band of the Gendarmerie Corps of the Vatican City State — conducted by Maestro Stefano Iannilli and coordinated by Deputy Commissioner Mauro Colaiacomo — will perform in concert on the evening of Monday, July 7, in Piazza del Duomo in Spoleto, Italy. The event is dedicated to peace, aiming to unite diverse cultures and traditions and to build bridges between distant yet kindred worlds.
Walking together through the Vatican Gardens behind the Cross to remember and relive the most painful moments of Christ’s Passion. As is tradition, again this year during Holy Week, the Governorate of the Vatican City State promoted the pious devotion of the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross).
On Friday, October 31, as part of the Jubilee celebrations, the Vatican Observatory, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), presented two special events dedicated to the beauty and mystery of the universe.
The work of the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-25) has concluded, with more than 160 delegations from ITU Member States taking part and a total attendance of 2,368 participants.
"May we never boast of anything
except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ:
He is our salvation, life, and resurrection;
through Him we have been saved and set free." (cf. Gal 6:14)
The traditional Way of the Cross in the Vatican Gardens for employees of the Governorate, will take place during Holy Week, on Tuesday morning, 15 April at 8:15 a.m. The Way of the Cross will begin in the square in front of the Governorate and proceed towards the evocative backdrop of the Lourdes Grotto. Each station will be animated by a representative of each Directorate and Central Office, led by their respective Chaplains. The Via Crucis is organized by the Events Planning Office.
It will be an opportunity to share a moment of prayer in preparation for Easter, in accordance with Pope Francis’ words in his message for Lent 2025:
“God is asking us to examine whether in our lives, in our families, in the places where we work and spend our time, we are capable of walking together with others, listening to them, resisting the temptation to become self-absorbed and to think only of our own needs”.
Tulips were planted in the Vatican Gardens on Tuesday morning, 22 October, in memory of Saint John Paul II, on the day of his liturgical memorial.
The Governorate of Vatican City State joyfully joins in celebrations for the 12th anniversary of the election of Pope Francis.
Sr. Raffaella Petrini, Archbishop Emilio Nappa, Mr. Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi (lawyer), respectively, President and Secretaries General of the Governorate of Vatican City State, along with the Directors, Office Managers and employees of the Governorate are grateful to the Pontiff for the years he spent at the service of the Church.
Two researchers from the Vatican Observatory ( www.vaticanobservatory.org - www.vaticanobservatory.va), Fr. Gabriele Gionti, S.J., and Fr. Matteo Galaverni, have uncovered a surprising result: there are two different mathematical frameworks - known as the Jordan frame and the Einstein frame - for describing gravity when a scalar field is involved.
On Saturday, November 16, in the Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel and Center at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, the President of the Governorate, Sr. Raffaella Petrini, delivered The Mary Field and Vincent DeP Goubeau Lecture on Women's Role in the Church & Society regarding the many complementary dimensions of exercising authority, service and the practice of care.
On the occasion of National Tree Day, Friday, 21 November, a Fraxinus ornus and a Fraxinus angustifolia—from which the traditional Madonie manna is obtained—were planted in the Vatican Gardens. Presiding over the ceremony was Archbishop Emilio Nappa, Secretary General of the Governorate of the Vatican City State, who emphasized that planting new trees to keep creation alive and respect the environment is fully in line with the principles set out in Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato si’. “It is even more so,” he said, “when the plants in question have a clear biblical reference.”
“Bellini and Sodoma. Passion of Christ” is the theme of an exhibition that will be inaugurated on Saturday afternoon, 5 April, in Castel Gandolfo’s Apostolic Palace. The exhibition includes, Lamentation over the Dead Christ, by Giovanni Bellini, from the Vatican Pinacoteca, and the Dead Christ(supported by angels), by Giovanni Antonio Bazzi, known as il Sodoma, on loan from the Venerable Archconfraternity of Santa Maria dell’Orto in Rome.
With little more than a month to go to the opening of Jubilee 2025, the Directorate of Health and Hygiene is preparing to receive the influx of pilgrims, by maximizing its capacity to intervene and assist the many faithful who will pass through the Holy Door. As part of these preparations, two new ambulances have been donated to the Directorate, by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and by the Futuro Salute ETS Per Nuovi Modelli di Welfare Foundation.
The Vatican City State presents the first two numismatic issues of the year 2025, each of which, in its own way, bears witness to significant moments in the life and spiritual journey of the Church: the tribute to a Pope who has only recently completed his earthly pilgrimage, and the celebration of a saintly Pontiff who marked an era.
The Governorate of Vatican City State has issued a stamp to commemorate the narrow escape of a conflict between Argentina and Chile over the sovereignty of islands in the southernmost tip of South America, which was resolved thanks to the mediation of the Holy See.
The stamp recalls the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Argentina and Chile, on 29 November 1984, in Vatican City, and pays homage to the unforgettable masterpiece in diplomacy achieved by Cardinal Antonio Samorè, personal envoy of John Paul II to the mediation.
For the first time, Vatican City has won the Best Gold Coin award in the prestigious international Coin of the Year (COTY) competition. The winning coin is the 50-euro gold issue, released by the Governorate in 2024 on the theme “War and Peace.”
The artwork is by Chiara Principe, a young artist from Rome who for years has created images for the Governorate's Vatican numismatic collections.
Integral human development “calls forth an ethically responsible use of technology”. If this is true for relatively simple technologies, “it is even more necessary in relation to the use of artificial intelligence, which, in the words of Pope Francis, ‘represents a true cognitive-industrial revolution’”, Sr. Raffaella Petrini, Secretary General of the Governorate, highlighted in her address at the ITU Global Standard Symposium (GSS-24). Sr. Petrini, who heads the Vatican Delegation, was speaking to the High Level Segment on the theme “ Catalyzing Change: Industry & Ministerial Leaders Crafting the Future of Innovation”. The global conference took place on 14 October in New Delhi, India, ahead of the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24) which will be held from 15-20 October.
The World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24) has concluded, with a record number of attendance: 3,700 delegates from 160 countries. The last session took place in India’s capital city, New Delhi, on Thursday, 24 October, and was attended by a Vatican Delegation, led by Sr. Raffaella Petrini, Secretary General of the Governorate of Vatican City State. Members of the Vatican Delegation included, Mr. Antonino Intersimone and Mr. Salimbeni, respectively, Director and Deputy Director of the Governorate’s Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems, and Mr. Sergio Salvatori, technical official of the Technological Direction of the Dicastery for Communication.
On Monday 28 April the Vatican City’s Postal and Philately Service of the Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems, released the series of postage stamps commemorating the Sede Vacante MMXXV, valid for postal correspondence mailed from the Vatican City.
Select your language
