The Postal and Philatelic Service of the Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems of the Governorate of Vatican City State announces a new series of philatelic issues to be released on 26 February 2026. The six issues celebrate various anniversaries and special occasions related to the Pontiffs, international relations and Easter.

Updating, innovating, and strengthening infrastructure and networks is an absolute priority for the Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems of the Governorate. This commitment is pursued through significant human and financial resources.

The second bulletin of this year from the Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature of the IAU (International Astronomical Union) announced that additional asteroids have been named after Jesuit scientists of the Vatican Observatory. Several asteroids, co-discovered by Vatican astronomer Fr. Richard P. Boyle, SJ, together with his long-time collaborator K. Černis (of Vilnius, Lithuania), using the Vatican Observatory’s VATT telescope on Mount Graham, have received official designations.

“Servant leadership in pastoral ministry” was the theme of the symposium attended by Sr. Raffaella Petrini, President of the Governorate of the Vatican City State. Organized for seminarians, counselors, students, and the Benedictine monastic community of the neighboring Mount Angel Abbey, the meeting took place on Friday, February 6, at Mount Angel Seminary in Saint Benedict, Oregon, U.S.A.

A prayer for the sick and those who care for them

“Today, on this day dedicated to the sick, we wish to pray in communion with all those who suffer throughout the world. We pray for you. I sincerely thank you for making the effort to come and to accompany us in this moment of prayer, here before our Mother Mary, on her liturgical memorial, Our Lady of Lourdes.” These were the words of Pope Leo XIV, spoken in front of the Grotto of Lourdes in the Vatican Gardens on Wednesday morning, 11 February, after the General Audience.