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Herald Malaysia
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Herald Malaysia
The Church prepares its first Jubilee for Catholic influencers
Rome prepares to host thousands of digital missionaries for a landmark gathering of prayer, formation, and fraternity on July 28–29. Jul 16, 2025 file photo of digital missionaries meeting to prepare for Jubilee By Sebastián Sansón FerrariFor the first time in its history, the Catholic Church will celebrate a Jubilee event within a Holy Year specifically dedicated to digital missionaries and Catholic influencers, formally recognising the digital environment as a true field of mission. The gathering will take place in Rome on July 28 and 29, 2025, coinciding with the opening days of the Youth Jubilee. Many young people who evangelise through social media will be actively involved in both celebrations. This unprecedented initiative, organised by the Dicastery for Communication, will bring together nearly one thousand digital missionaries from around the world, with strong representation from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spain. These evangelizers proclaim the joy of the Gospel through social media, video platforms, blogs, and apps, offering a creative, accessible, and engaged Christian witness within the digital continent. For those unable to travel to the Eternal City, parallel virtual events will be offered through registration at the official website allowing many others to participate from their local contexts of mission. While in-person registration has closed, participants are still welcome to join online. The two main formative sessions of the Jubilee will also be livestreamed via the YouTube channel La Iglesia Te Escucha ("The Church Listens to You"). This initiative emerged in response to Pope Francis' call during the Synod on Synodality (2021–2024), which emphasised the importance of bringing the Good News into the digital world and ensuring no one is excluded from the synodal journey. It stands as a clear expression of a missionary Church, one that reaches out to the existential peripheries of contemporary society. Spirituality, formation, celebration The Jubilee program will unfold in three key phases. The spiritual component centres on the pilgrimage through the Holy Door—a hallmark of every Holy Year and a sign of interior renewal and openness to grace. This will be followed by a formative phase, featuring keynote presentations, workshops, and testimonies at the Auditorium Conciliazione. These sessions aim to provide pastoral tools for digital mission and foster spaces for shared reflection. The final phase will be a celebratory moment: a festival in Piazza Risorgimento highlighting art, music, and creativity as dynamic languages of evangelisation and communion in the digital sphere. Both venues are within walking distance of St. Peter's Square. Compassionate evangelisation in the digital space This Jubilee answers Pope Francis' invitation to be 'Good Samaritans' in the digital world. The Holy Father has urged the faithful to inhabit online spaces with compassion, humanity, and closeness, not merely through functional or technical presence, but through a pastoral approach of hope. He has repeatedly emphasised the need for a communication that listens, amplifies the voices of the voiceless, and disarms words marked by division or hostility—a theme also echoed by Pope Leo XIV in his first meeting with media professionals. The Jubilee also builds upon the first global gathering of digital evangelizers, held during World Youth Day in Lisbon in 2023. That event gave rise to an international network of missionaries, which is now being strengthened and projected toward the future through this Jubilee initiative. In the coming days, the Jubilee's official website will release a dedicated spiritual guide to help participants prepare internally for the event. Promotional materials and graphic resources are already available for download to inspire and support the missionary dimension of participants, whether in Rome or in the digital peripheries. A hymn that unites voices and cultures One of the highlights of the Jubilee's preparation has been the release of its official hymn, Todos ("Everyone"). The song is a collaborative project uniting Catholic artists from around the globe. The title Todos echoes Pope Francis' powerful affirmation during World Youth Day in Lisbon on August 3, 2023: 'In the Church, there is room for everyone, everyone, everyone!' The hymn captures the inclusive, synodal, and missionary spirit that animates this Jubilee.--Vatican News
Glasgow Times
14-07-2025
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow travellers heading to Italy this summer warned
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has issued advice for Brits heading to Italy and the Vatican City. Currently, the two countries are celebrating the Jubilee 2025, known as the Holy Year. The significant event, which occurs every 25 years, started on December 24, 2024, and ends on January 6, 2026. READ MORE: Glasgow travellers heading to popular country warned READ MORE: Glasgow travellers heading to South America warned of muggings However, the UK's Foreign Office said that Rome and the Vatican City, which is an independent city surrounded by Rome, will be 'very busy', particularly when bigger events take place as part of the Holy Year. One of the major events taking place this summer is the Jubilee of Youth from July 28 to August 3. A spokesperson said: "The Jubilee, known as the Holy Year, will take place in Rome from December 24, 2024, to January 6, 2026. "The city is expected to be very busy, particularly when the bigger events take place, including the Jubilee of Youth from July 28 to August 3, 2025. "If you are planning to travel to Rome during this time, see our Jubilee 2025 - Holy Year information."
Daily Record
14-07-2025
- Daily Record
Foreign Office warns Brits of summer travel disruption in Italy due to major event
The Foreign Office has issued a warning to Brits travelling to Italy this summer as the region is currently celebrating the Jubilee, also known as the Holy Year, with an additional festival taking place at the end of July Brits travelling to Italy and the Vatican City this summer could be met with significant upheaval. The area is currently celebrating the Jubilee, commonly referred to as the Holy Year, and an additional event starting late July might cause major cities to be packed. Celebrated every 25 years within Catholicism, the Jubilee is under way and will last until 2026. The ongoing festivities started on 24 December 2024 and are anticipated to last until 6 January 2026. Additionally, from 28 July to 3 August 2025, the Jubilee of Youth will draw even more people to the celebrations. According to the latest advice from the Foreign Office:"The Jubilee, known as the Holy Year, will take place in Rome from 24 December 2024 to 6 January 2026. The city is expected to be very busy, particularly when the bigger events take place, including the Jubilee of Youth 28 July to 3 August 2025." People travelling to Rome specifically will be at a higher risk of facing disruptions due to the city holding the independent state of the Vatican City, the centre of the Roman Catholic world, where many people are expected to gather and celebrate. Staying safe while travelling in and around Rome The Foreign Office has issued a warning that transport in Rome will be "very busy" and visitors may be directed by local authorities to use specific routes to enter or exit the city. Travellers are advised to plan their journeys in advance and allow extra time due to potential delays. Additionally, with the influx of visitors during the Jubilee, there's an increased risk of petty crime such as pickpocketing and bag-snatching, especially in city centres and near major tourist attractions. Tourists are also at greater risk of passport theft and should take care not to carry it while travelling around the city. In case of passport theft, it's crucial to cancel it immediately to prevent identity theft. Note that local police cannot assist with stolen passports, and official guidance must be followed. Further advice for travelling to Italy can be found on the Foreign Office website.
Chicago Tribune
06-07-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Pope Leo XIV resumes tradition and arrives at Castel Gandolfo for vacation to restore ‘body and spirit'
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy — Pope Leo XIV arrived in the papal summer retreat of Castel Gandolfo on Sunday to start a six-week vacation, giving the hilltop town back its most illustrious resident after Pope Francis stayed away during his 12-year pontificate. Leo greeted well-wishers who lined the main road into town to welcome him before waving from the balcony of the villa where he will be staying for what he says will be a 'brief period of rest.' 'I hope everyone can have some vacation time to restore the body and spirit,' Leo said before leaving the Vatican during his noontime prayer Sunday. The 69-year-old Chicago native is resuming the papal tradition of leaving the Vatican for the hot summer months in favor of the relatively cooler climes of Castel Gandolfo, overlooking Lake Alban in the hills south of Rome. The area has been a favorite getaway for Roman rulers since the time of the Emperor Domitian in the first century. It's Leo's first break after a frenetic few weeks of inaugural audiences, outings and Holy Year celebrations following his May 8 election as history's first American pope. He'll have a handful of public events while on holiday — Masses, Sunday noon prayers and even some events back at the Vatican — but officials expect he will use the time to rest, think and read in on key issues facing his new pontificate. 'Since he was elected he has been working, working, working. It is time for him to get more energy and get strength for his mission,' said Sister Mary Livia, a nun from Uganda who was on hand to welcome Leo on Sunday. Pope Urban VIII built the papal palace in Castel Gandolfo in 1624 to give popes an escape from Rome. It was enlarged over succeeding pontificates to its present size of 55 hectares (136 acres), bigger than Vatican City itself. On the grounds are a working farm, manicured gardens, an observatory run by Jesuit astronomers and, more recently, an environmental educational center inspired by Francis' 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si (Praised Be). Past popes used it regularly in summer, drawing huge crowds of pilgrims who would come on Sundays to hear his noon blessing, which was delivered inside the inner courtyard of the palace. Pope Benedict XVI famously closed out his papacy in the estate on Feb. 28, 2013. But Francis, a homebody who never took a proper vacation during his 12-year pontificate, decided to remain in Rome in summer. The town suffered an initial economic hit from the decision. But then Francis turned the papal palace and gardens into a year-round museum, open to the public, giving the town a year-round tourist draw that ended up benefiting it even more, shopkeepers say. 'He made access to these structures possible, which no pope ever did in 400 years,' said Simone Mariani, who runs a restaurant in town that benefited from the steady flow of tourists much more than the summer-only Sunday crowds of the past. 'He brought tourism that was good for the whole town.' But that still didn't make up for the abandonment felt by a town whose rhythms for generations revolved around regular papal visits. Whenever the pope would arrive, the palace doors would open, the Swiss Guards would stand at attention and the town would come to life, said Patrizia Gasperini, whose family runs a souvenir shop on the main piazza a few steps from the palace front door. 'All year, we'd miss the color, the movement, but we knew when summer came he would return,' she said. 'So when Pope Francis decided not to come, we were upset on an emotional level, beyond the economic level.' Since the palace has been turned into a museum, Leo will actually be staying in the Villa Barberini, a smaller residence on the estate grounds that used to be where the Vatican secretary of state would stay when the pope was in town. Mayor Alberto De Angelis said he hopes Leo will decide to use Castel Gandolfo not just for summer breaks, but for periodic vacations during the rest of the year, as St. John Paul II often did. There is also a tradition of popes using their time at Castel Gandolfo to draft important church documents and encyclicals, and De Angelis said he hopes Leo follows in that tradition. 'We hope Pope Leo produces some text, some encyclical here that has a global reach,' he said. 'And then he can say that it came from Castel Gandolfo, that he was inspired and produced this text from here for the whole world.'
Global News
06-07-2025
- Global News
Pope Leo resumes papal tradition of taking summer vacation
Pope Leo XIV arrived in the papal summer retreat of Castel Gandolfo on Sunday to start a six-week vacation, giving the hilltop town back its most illustrious resident after Pope Francis stayed away during his 12-year pontificate. Leo greeted well-wishers who lined the main road into town to welcome him before waving from the balcony of the villa where he will be staying for what he says will be a 'brief period of rest.' 'I hope everyone can have some vacation time to restore the body and spirit,' Leo said before leaving the Vatican during his noontime prayer Sunday. The 69-year-old Chicago native is resuming the papal tradition of leaving the Vatican for the hot summer months in favor of the relatively cooler climes of Castel Gandolfo, overlooking Lake Alban in the hills south of Rome. The area has been a favorite getaway for Roman rulers since the time of the Emperor Domitian in the first century. Story continues below advertisement It's Leo's first break after a frenetic few weeks of inaugural audiences, outings and Holy Year celebrations following his May 8 election as history's first American pope. He'll have a handful of public events while on holiday — Masses, Sunday noon prayers and even some events back at the Vatican — but officials expect he will use the time to rest, think and read in on key issues facing his new pontificate. 'Since he was elected he has been working, working, working. It is time for him to get more energy and get strength for his mission,' said Sister Mary Livia, a nun from Uganda who was on hand to welcome Leo on Sunday. 'Good for the whole town' Pope Urban VIII built the papal palace in Castel Gandolfo in 1624 to give popes an escape from Rome. It was enlarged over succeeding pontificates to its present size of 55 hectares (136 acres), bigger than Vatican City itself. On the grounds are a working farm, manicured gardens, an observatory run by Jesuit astronomers and, more recently, an environmental educational center inspired by Francis' 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si (Praised Be). Story continues below advertisement Past popes used it regularly in summer, drawing huge crowds of pilgrims who would come on Sundays to hear his noon blessing, which was delivered inside the inner courtyard of the palace. Pope Benedict XVI famously closed out his papacy in the estate on Feb. 28, 2013. But Francis, a homebody who never took a proper vacation during his 12-year pontificate, decided to remain in Rome in summer. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The town suffered an initial economic hit from the decision. But then Francis turned the papal palace and gardens into a year-round museum, open to the public, giving the town a year-round tourist draw that ended up benefiting it even more, shopkeepers say. 4:15 Pope Leo XIV holds inaugural mass, vows to protect Church doctrine but face modernity 'He made access to these structures possible, which no pope ever did in 400 years,' said Simone Mariani, who runs a restaurant in town that benefited from the steady flow of tourists much more than the summer-only Sunday crowds of the past. 'He brought tourism that was good for the whole town.' Story continues below advertisement But that still didn't make up for the abandonment felt by a town whose rhythms for generations revolved around regular papal visits. Whenever the pope would arrive, the palace doors would open, the Swiss Guards would stand at attention and the town would come to life, said Patrizia Gasperini, whose family runs a souvenir shop on the main piazza a few steps from the palace front door. 'All year, we'd miss the color, the movement, but we knew when summer came he would return,' she said. 'So when Pope Francis decided not to come, we were upset on an emotional level, beyond the economic level.' Draft important church documents Since the palace has been turned into a museum, Leo will actually be staying in the Villa Barberini, a smaller residence on the estate grounds that used to be where the Vatican secretary of state would stay when the pope was in town. Story continues below advertisement Mayor Alberto De Angelis said he hopes Leo will decide to use Castel Gandolfo not just for summer breaks, but for periodic vacations during the rest of the year, as St. John Paul II often did. There is also a tradition of popes using their time at Castel Gandolfo to draft important church documents and encyclicals, and De Angelis said he hopes Leo follows in that tradition. 'We hope Pope Leo produces some text, some encyclical here that has a global reach,' he said. 'And then he can say that it came from Castel Gandolfo, that he was inspired and produced this text from here for the whole world.' —Winfield reported from Rome.
