Bulletins, Newsletters, and Flocknotes

By the Apostolic Letter in the form of a Motu Proprio “Fratello Sole”, dated 21 June 2024, my venerable predecessor Pope Francis, having considered that “There is a need to make a transition to a sustainable development model …”, entrusted to the President of the Governorate of Vatican City State and to the President of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See “the task of constructing an agrivoltaic plant located within the extraterritorial zone of Santa Maria di Galeria that will guarantee, not only the power supply of the radio station there, but also the complete energy sustenance of Vatican City State”. In order to carry out this task by the same Motu Proprio the President of the Governorate of Vatican City State and the President of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See were appointed “Extraordinary Commissioners with full capacity to carry out the necessary acts of ordinary and extraordinary administration”.

Taking into account the aforementioned Motu Proprio and the subsequent agreement signed with the Italian authorities on 31 July 2025, which came into force on 27 May 2026, I believe it is necessary to act promptly to give tangible expression to this commitment; to this end, I am establishing the “Fratello Sole” Foundation.

The Foundation represents a sign of hope for the future and an example of how it is possible to reconcile energy production and agriculture while respecting and protecting the environment, in accordance with the principles of environmental sustainability and care for our common home contained in the Encyclical Laudato si’ , the Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum , the Motu Proprio “Fratello Sole” and, more generally, in the social Magisterium of the Church.

The Foundation has its registered office in the Vatican City State and operates fully within the extraterritorial area of Santa Maria di Galeria. I hereby establish that this body shall be governed by its own Statutes, which I simultaneously approve and which are hereby promulgated. For the first three-year period, I appoint the President of the Governorate of Vatican City State and the President of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See as President and Vice-President respectively, conferring upon the two aforementioned individuals the powers provided for in the Statutes.

From the Vatican, on 1 June 2026, the second year of my Pontificate.

LEO PP. XIV

“They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” (Is 2:4).

The Holy Father’s Message for the upcoming World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, which is traditionally celebrated on 1 September, highlights the connection between armed conflict and environmental degradation. Such degradation constitutes both a serious violation of our duty to care for creation, as well as a long-term threat to the lives of hundreds of millions of people. The now widespread awareness of the impact of war on natural resources has not led to the creation of adequate institutions or to responsible decisions aimed at preventing conflicts and resolving disputes peacefully. The title — a passage in which Isaiah prophesies the transformation of weapons into agricultural tools — is an explicit invitation to prioritize development and sustainability over violence and destruction.

NOTIFICATION

SOLEMNITY OF THE SAINTS APOSTLES PETER AND PAUL

29 JUNE 2026

 

PAPAL CHAPEL

 

On Monday 29 June 2026, Solemnity of the Saints Apostles Peter and Paul, at 9.30, in Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Holy Father Leo XIV will preside over the Eucharistic Celebration, bless the Pallia and impose them upon the new Metropolitan Archbishops.

The Patriarchs and Cardinals who wish to concelebrate are invited to be present by 8.45 at the Braccio di Costantino, bringing with them their white damask mitre.

The Metropolitan Archbishops appointed last year are requested to be present by 8.45 in the Chapel of Saint Sebastian, bringing with them their simple white mitre.

The Archbishops and Bishops who wish to concelebrate must bring the relevant ticket, obtained from this Office by 24 June via the procedure indicated at https://biglietti.liturgiepontificie.va , and are invited to be present by 8.30 at the Braccio di Costantino, bringing with them their amice, alb, cincture and simple white mitre.

The Presbyters who wish to concelebrate, and the Deacons, must bring the relevant ticket, obtained from this Office by 24 June via the procedure indicated at https://biglietti.liturgiepontificie.va , subject to availability of places, and are requested to be present by 8.30 in the sector reserved for them in Saint Peter’s Basilica, brinding with them their amice, alb, cincture and red stole.

* * *

In accordance with the Motu Proprio Pontificalis Domus , the members of the Papal Chapel who wish to participate in the Eucharistic Celebration without concelebrating must obtain the Notification , to be requested at [email protected] by 24 June. They are all required to wear their own choral habit and to be present at the Altar of the Confessio by 9.00, in order to take their seats, which will be indicated to them by the Pontifical Masters of Ceremonies.

Vatican City, 2 June 2026

By mandate of the Holy Father

✠ Diego Ravelli Titular Archbishop of Recanati Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations

Appointment of Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication

The Holy Father has appointed Dr. Maria Montserrat Alvarado, President and Chief Operating Officer of EWTN News, as Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication. Dr. Montserrat Alvarado will take office on 1 November.

Curriculum vitae

Dr. Maria Montserrat Alvarado was born in Mexico City. She obtained her academic qualifications at Florida International University and George Washington University. From 2009 to 2023 she held senior positions at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Since 2023, she has served as President and Chief Operating Officer of EWTN News, the news division of the Eternal Word Television Network, where she oversees international media platforms that produce content in seven languages across television, print, radio, digital media and social media.

This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the participants in the General Assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies.

The following is the address delivered by the Pope to those present during the course of the meeting:

 

Address of the Holy Father

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you.

 

Your Eminence, Your Excellencies, Dear General Secretaries and National Directors,

It is with joy and thanksgiving that I greet all of you, gathered in Rome this year for your annual General Assembly, a year truly rich in missionary milestones.  This year marks the hundredth anniversary of establishing, at the request of the  Pontifical Society of the Propagation of the Faith , the penultimate Sunday of October as World Mission Sunday by my predecessor  Pope Pius XI .  For one hundred years, this day has been set apart for prayer, reflection and contributing to the Church’s mission of evangelization, especially in areas where the proclamation of the Gospel is only just beginning and where the Church is still young. On this day, every Catholic community is invited to pray and offer spiritual and material sacrifices for the missionary efforts in areas of first evangelization and for the support of young churches. I am happy to express my gratitude to all of you and to everyone who works with you throughout the world, for all of your efforts, great and small, in promoting World Mission Day in every ecclesiastical circumscription in the universal communion of the Church.

If I might add, one of the particular services of World Mission Sunday is to remind people in the older churches, if you will in the established churches, how important it is that they too join in the missionary spirit of the whole Church.

Thanks to the funds raised on World Mission Sunday,  the Pontifical Society of the Propagation of the Faith  is able to provide necessary help to the over 1,130 ecclesiastical circumscriptions that depend on the  Dicastery for Evangelization , Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches, to help them establish necessary ecclesiastical infrastructures and support diverse missionary initiatives. They also support the administration of five colleges in Rome for the ongoing formation of priests, and consecrated women and men, who come to the eternal city for studies and become precious resources for their local Churches to which they return after completing their studies. These and many more missionary initiatives are possible thanks to the generosity of the faithful on World Mission Sunday.

This year also marks the one hundred and tenth anniversary of the founding of the Pontifical Missionary Union by Blessed Paolo Manna, declared Pontifical by Pope Pius XII and described by  Saint Paul VI  as the “soul” of the other  Pontifical Mission Societies . I encourage all to participate in its mission of fostering among all the baptized an ever more fervent missionary spirituality and a deeper commitment to the Church’s universal mission of evangelization in this new missionary age.

It is also providential that this year, on 24 September, in Saint Louis Missouri, a renowned National Director of the  Pontifical Mission Societies  in the United States of America, the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, will be beatified. Archbishop Sheen was a light of faith, hope, and love that shone through the radio and television media for decades. I myself am a witness of his evangelization when I was growing up. His broadcasts touched millions with the hope of the Gospel and his initiatives and efforts resulted in enormous spiritual and material aid to the Churches in areas of first evangelization. May our new Blessed be an example for all of the National and Diocesan Directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies throughout the world.

In a world increasingly marked by division, war and conflict among nations and peoples, the four  Pontifical Mission Societies , entrusted to the  Dicastery for Evangelization , the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches, render an invaluable service to the Church’s mission of proclaiming Christ, the Prince of Peace and the incarnate revelation of Divine Love for humanity. In this regard, the  Pontifical Mission Society of the Holy Childhood  carries out a particularly precious mission by bringing the light of faith and the consolation of Christian charity to children throughout the world, especially in regions afflicted by hatred and violence. Equally important is the  Pontifical Mission Society of Saint Peter the Apostle , which promotes and sustains the formation of indigenous clergy and consecrated religious in territories of first evangelization. In many places, without the assistance of this Society, seminarians and novices would lack the necessary means for their human, spiritual and pastoral formation.

The theme for this year’s World Mission Sunday -  One in Christ, united in mission  - highlights the unity of believers and marks the 100th anniversary of this global celebration. It invites all of the members of the Church to a deeper communion in Christ and to a fuller unity in his divine mission of love. It reflects the profound desire of the Lord expressed in his prayer to the Father before his Passion (cf.  Jn  17:20, 21, 26). These aspects, expressed in this year’s theme, call for a missionary renewal in the Church in the years ahead. I therefore encourage you to keep this teaching in mind, to live an authentic spirituality of missionary unity and communion centered on Christ, and to promote it through your activities among the faithful.

My dear brothers and sisters,  the Second Vatican Council  insisted that the “Church on earth is by her very nature missionary since, according to the plan of the Father, it has her origin in the mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit” ( Ad Gentes , 2). Mindful of this, I invite you all to appreciate the urgency of embracing an ongoing missionary conversion and to look together for ways of being a missionary Church for the healing of our world, so fraught with tensions, conflicts and wars. In this important task, the work of the  the Pontifical Mission Societies  remains essential. Let us therefore continue our missionary journey with joy and renewed zeal. In all that we do for the work of evangelization, may we always place Jesus Christ at the center, embracing the beautiful Gospel principle expressed by John the Baptist: “He must increase, but I must decrease” ( Jn 3:30).

Entrusting all of you, your collaborators, benefactors and all who share in this vital missionary work to the maternal intercession of the Mother of God, Mary - Queen of Missions - and that of all the missionary saints, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing. Thank you.

And let us pray together as Jesus taught us: “Our Father…