Select your language
Raymond of Peñafort cofounded the Order of the Mercedarians, served as Master General of the Dominicans, and above all, was a renowned expert in canon law. Born between 1175 and 1185 in Villafranca del Panadés, Raymond studied at the Cathedral of Barcelona, where he later taught rhetoric and logic.
John Neumann, the first U.S. Bishop to be canonized, is best known for his pastoral and educational work. While serving as Bishop of Philadelphia, he founded the first diocesan Catholic school system in the United States of America.
While meditating on the death of the Son of God on Holy Wednesday in 1301, Saint Angela of Foligno heard the following words within her: "My love for you is no joke". These words embody the essence of Saint Angela, the Franciscan mystic whom Pope Francis canonized on 9 October 2013, by equipollent canonization.
The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph is celebrated on the Sunday following Christmas. The reason is simple. Whereas at Christmas we contemplate the birth of the Son of God in Bethlehem, surrounded by Mary and Joseph, on this feast day, the Church celebrates the daily life of the family in Nazareth.
John, whose name means “God is gracious”, was described by Paul as a “pillar” of the Church (Gal 2:9). He was originally from Galilee, probably from near Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee).
“God humbles the soul greatly in order to exalt it greatly afterward”, Saint John of the Cross once wrote. He reformed the Order of Carmel, along with Saint Teresa of Ávila, and is considered one of the most important poets in Spanish literature. His greatest works are: The Ascent of Carmel, Dark Night of the Soul, Spiritual Canticle, The Living Flame of Love.
Select your language
Profound sorrow for the death of Pope Francis
Sr. Raffaella Petrini, Archbishop Emilio Nappa and Atty. Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, respectively President and the Secretary Generals of the Governorate, together with Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, President Emeritus, join the entire Church in mourning for the passing of beloved Pope Francis, whose papacy was a blessing for the whole world.
He is remembered as a promoter of peace who, with great authority, defended freedom and human dignity, firmly opposing armed conflict as a means of resolving international disputes.
Throughout his pontificate, Francis promoted interreligious and intercultural dialogue, constantly calling all people to seek what unites rather than what divides them, pointing to the values of solidarity and civility in building societies that are more human-centered. He showed particular attention to friendship and love of neighbor, always keeping a special focus on the poor, forgotten and most vulnerable.
The State’s governing bodies, together with all the employees of the Governorate of the Vatican City State in all its Departments and Offices, join with the Church’s liturgy for the departed, lifting their prayers to God for the late Pontiff.