A step forward for the agrivoltaic plant in Santa Maria di Galeria
On Wednesday, 7 January, the Senate of the Italian Republic approved the bill concerning the ratification and implementation of the Agreement between Italy and the Holy See for an agrivoltaic plant in Santa Maria di Galeria, signed in Rome on 31 July 2025.
The Bulletin of the Holy See Press Office on Saturday, 3 January, announced that Pope Leo XIV has appointed Professor and Attorney Ulisse Corea, as Adjunct Judge of the Tribunal of the Vatican City State. Prof. Corea is an of Associate Professor of Civil Procedural Law at the University of Tor Vergata Rome.
Dedicated to Saint Carlo Acutis (1991–2006) and his talent for computer technology, the new official app of the Governorate of the Vatican City State has been launched.
The application features the institutional website www.vaticanstate.va and has been designed to provide access to institutional information even simpler, quicker and easier to use on mobile devices.
Pope Leo XIV visited the Nativity Scene from the Diocese of Nocera Inferiore–Sarno, set up in St. Peter’s Square for the 2025 Christmas season. On Wednesday afternoon, 31 December 2025, he visited the crèche after presiding in the Vatican Basilica over First Vespers for the Solemnity of Mary, Most Holy Mother of God, followed by the singing of the traditional Te Deum hymn of thanksgiving at the end of the year.
An outpouring of warmth, faith and popular tradition surrounds the great Christmas tree placed at the center of the Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo. Hand-modeled terracotta figures recall the birth of Jesus. It is a Mexican nativity scene, with an essential number of characters: the Child, Mary, Joseph, the three Magi, a shepherd, and an angel. They have simple yet highly expressive forms: faces absorbed in contemplation of the mystery, all leaning toward the manger surrounded by the ox and the donkey.
The Postal and Philatelic Service of the Vatican City State has announced the new philatelic program for 2026, for collectors and enthusiasts worldwide with a broad and well-structured proposal that brings together spirituality, history and current affairs.
As the Jubilee Year nears its conclusion, this special edition “From the Heart of the State – The Governorate Tells Its Story” now available online, is dedicated to the Christmas message and the universal human desire for Hope.
The traditional Vatican issue, in the Jubilee year, entrusted for the first time to a young artist from the School of Medallic Art of the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato [Italian State Mint]
For the year 2025, the Postal and Philatelic Service of the Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems of the Governorate of Vatican City State has brought together, in a single volume, all philatelic issues along with the official postmarks issued during the year.
God Draws Near and Shares Human Frailty
In places of care, God continues to make Himself present each day through the often hidden service of those who work for the good of others. This was emphasized by Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, President Emeritus of the Governorate of Vatican City State, during the celebration of a Holy Mass in honor of the Christmas season on Saturday afternoon, 20 December, in the Church of Mary, Mother of the Family, at the Governorate.
