Bulletins, Newsletters, and Flocknotes

This morning, the Holy Father received in audience:

- Bishop Massimiliano Palinuro, vicar apostolic of Istanbul, Türkiye; apostolic administrator sede vacante of the apostolic exarchate of Constantinople;

- Bishop Heinrich Timmerevers of Dresden-Meissen, Federal Republic of Germany;

- Her Excellency Ms. Teresa Susana Subieta Serrano de Vasquez, Ambassador of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, on her farewell visit.

Activities of the Holy Father:

- Homage to Mary Immaculate, on the occasion of World Day of the Sick.

Press Conference of 16 February 2026

Press Conference of 17 February 2026

 

Press Conference of 16 February 2026

On Monday 16 February 2026 , at 11.30 , a press conference will be held at the Holy See Press Office, Via della Conciliazione 54, to present the initiatives for the fourth Centenary of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (1626-2026).

The speaker will be: His Eminence Cardinal Mauro Gambetti , O.F.M. Conv., archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter, vicar general of His Holiness for Vatican City State and president of the Fabric of Saint Peter.

On the occasion, several activities of a spiritual and cultural nature will be announced, as well as the new services which will be made available to pilgrims and visitors. In addition, the project “Oltre il visibile” (“Beyond the Visible”), organized jointly with Eni , for the integrated study and monitoring of the Basilica, will be illustrated. The project is particularly significant given that cutting-edge technologies will enable visitors from all over the world to learn about and interact with the Basilica and its digital ecosystem. In this regard, there will be a press tour of the immersive installation dedicated to the story of the construction of Saint Peter's Basilica.

To this end, the following will speak:

- Claudio Granata , director for Stakeholder Relations & Services of Eni;

- Alberto Capitanucci , senior advisor for Special Projects of the Fabric of Saint Peter;

- Annalisa Muccioli , head of Research and Development and technical functions of Eni;

- Jacopo Veneziani , art historian.

The press conference will be livestreamed in the original language on the Vatican News YouTube channel, at https://www.youtube.com/c/VaticanNews .

Remote participation

Journalists and media operators who wish to participate remotely in the press conference must apply, no later than two hours before the event, via the Holy See Press Office online accreditation system, at https://press.vatican.va/accreditamenti , selecting the event: CS Quarto Centenario Dedicazione Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano.

During the request phase, please select the option “Sì” in the box “Partecipazione da remoto”.

Journalists and media operators who are admitted will receive confirmation of participation via the online accreditation system and, at the same time, the link to access the virtual platform and participate actively in the press conference, with the possibility to ask questions.

Participation in person

Journalists and media operators who wish to participate in the press conference in person must apply, no later than 24 hours before the event, via the Holy See Press Office online accreditation system, at https://press.vatican.va/accreditamenti , selecting the event: CS Quarto Centenario Dedicazione Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano.

Journalists and media operators who are admitted will receive confirmation of participation via the online accreditation system.

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Journalists and media operators accredited for the press conference are advised to arrive 30 minutes before the start time.

 

Press Conference of 17 February 2026

On Tuesday 17 February 2026 , at 11.30 , a press conference will be held at the Holy See Press Office, Via della Conciliazione 54, to present the “Healthcare for all. Sustainability and equity” International Workshop organized by the Pontifical Academy for Life, to be held in Rome from 16 to 17 February 2026, at the Patristic Institute Augustinianum , Via Paolo VI, 25.

The speakers will be:

- Msgr. Renzo Pegoraro , president of the Pontifical Academy for Life;

- Msgr. Robert J. Vitillo , senior advisor of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development;

- Mr. Ezekiel J. Emmanuel , vice provost of Global Initiatives;

- Ms. Sheila Tlou , African Leaders Malaria Alliance.

The press conference will be livestreamed in the original language on the Vatican News YouTube channel, at https://www.youtube.com/c/VaticanNews .

Remote participation

Journalists and media operators who wish to participate remotely in the press conference must apply, no later than two hours before the event, via the Holy See Press Office online accreditation system, at https://press.vatican.va/accreditamenti , selecting the event: CS Healthcare for all. Sustainability and equity.

During the request phase, please select the option “Sì” in the box “Partecipazione da remoto”.

Journalists and media operators who are admitted will receive confirmation of participation via the online accreditation system and, at the same time, the link to access the virtual platform and participate actively in the press conference, with the possibility to ask questions.

Participation in person

Journalists and media operators who wish to participate in the press conference in person must apply, no later than 24 hours before the event, via the Holy See Press Office online accreditation system, at https://press.vatican.va/accreditamenti , selecting the event: CS Healthcare for all. Sustainability and equity.

* * *

Journalists and media operators accredited for the press conference are advised to arrive 30 minutes before the start time.

Simultaneous translation

Both by connecting to the respective  Vatican News  linguistic YouTube channels and by using the virtual participation platform indicated in the paragraph “Remote participation”, it will be possible to access the simultaneous translation channels and to listen to the press conference in  Italian and  English .

Simultaneous translation will also be available to those present at the Holy See Press Office.

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Journalists and media operators who are admitted will receive confirmation of participation via the online accreditation system.

“I will never forget you” ( Is 49:15) is the theme chosen by Pope Leo XIV for the Sixth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, which seeks to emphasize how God’s love for every person is never lacking, even in the fragility of old age.

Taken from the book of the prophet Isaiah, the chosen verse is intended to be a message of consolation and hope for all grandparents and the elderly, especially those who live in solitude or who feel forgotten. At the same time, it is a reminder to families and ecclesial communities not to forget them, recognizing in them a valuable presence and a blessing.

World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, established by Pope Francis in 2021, is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of July, and offers an opportunity to bring the Church closer to the elderly and to acknowledge their contribution to families and communities. This year, the date coincides with the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, Sunday 26 July, and the Holy Father invites us to celebrate the Day with a Eucharistic liturgy in the Cathedral Church of each diocese.

The Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life exhorts the particular Churches, associations and ecclesial communities all over the world to find ways to celebrate the Day in their own local context, and will shortly make some specific pastoral tools available.

 

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Italian

VI Giornata Mondiale dei Nonni e degli Anziani

Io invece non ti dimenticherò mai. ( Is 49,15)

 

English

6th World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly

“I will never forget you.” (Is 49:15)

 

French

6 e Journée Mondiale des Grands-parents et des Personnes âgées

Je ne t’oublierai jamais. (Is 49,15)

 

Spanish

VI Jornada Mundial de los Abuelos y de los Mayores

Yo no te olvidaré. (Is 49,15)

 

Portuguese

VI Dia Mundial dos Avós e dos Idosos

Eu nunca te esquecerei. (Is 49,15)

Appointment of apostolic nuncio in Gabon

The Holy Father has appointed Archbishop Relwendé Kisito Ouédraogo, apostolic nuncio in the Republic of the Congo, titular-elect of Ilta, as apostolic nuncio in Gabon.

The following is the letter sent by the Holy Father Leo XIV to the Presbytery of the Archdiocese of Madrid on the occasion of the “Convivium” Presbyteral Assembly (9-10 February 2026):

 

Letter of the Holy Father

Dear sons,

I am delighted to be able to address this letter to you on the occasion of your Presbyteral Assembly, and to do so with sincere wishes for fraternity and unity. I thank your Archbishop and, from the bottom of my heart, each one of you for your willingness to gather as a presbytery, not only to discuss common issues, but also to support one another in the mission you share.

I appreciate the commitment with which you live and exercise your priesthood in parishes, services and very diverse realities; I know that this ministry is often carried out amid fatigue, complex situations and a silent dedication that only God witnesses. Precisely for this reason, I hope that these words will reach you as a gesture of closeness and encouragement, and that this meeting will foster a climate of sincere listening, true communion and confident openness to the action of the Holy Spirit, who never ceases to work in your lives and in your mission.

The times in which the Church is living invite us to pause together in serene and honest reflection. Not so much to dwell on immediate diagnoses or the management of emergencies, but to learn to read in depth the moment in which we live, recognizing, in the light of faith, the challenges and also the possibilities that the Lord opens up before us. On this journey, it becomes increasingly necessary to educate our outlook and to exercise discernment, so that we can perceive more clearly what God is already doing, often silently and discreetly, in our midst and in our communities.

This interpretation of the present cannot ignore the cultural and social context in which faith is lived and expressed today. In many environments, we see advanced processes of secularization, a growing polarization in public discourse and a tendency to reduce the complexity of the human person, interpreting it on the basis of partial and insufficient ideologies and categories. In this context, faith runs the risk of being instrumentalized, trivialized or relegated to the realm of the irrelevant, while forms of coexistence that dispense with any transcendent reference become entrenched.

Added to this is a profound cultural change that cannot be ignored: the gradual disappearance of common points of reference. For a long time, the Christian seed found fertile ground, because moral language, the major questions about the meaning of life and certain fundamental notions were, at least in part, shared. Today, that common ground has been significantly weakened. Many of the conceptual assumptions that for centuries facilitated the transmission of the Christian message are no longer evident and, in many cases, are no longer even comprehensible. The Gospel is met not only with indifference, but with a different cultural horizon, in which words no longer mean the same thing and where the first proclamation cannot be taken for granted.

However, this description does not fully capture what is really happening. I am convinced – and I know that many of you perceive this in the daily exercise of your ministry – that in the hearts of many people, especially young people, a new restlessness is opening up today. The absolutization of well-being has not brought the expected happiness; freedom detached from truth has not generated the promised fulfilment; and material progress, on its own, has not managed to satisfy the deep desire of the human heart.

In fact, the dominant proposals, together with certain hermeneutical and philosophical interpretations of man’s destiny, far from offering a sufficient answer, have often left a greater sense of weariness and emptiness. Precisely for this reason, we see that many people are beginning to open themselves to a more honest and authentic search, a search that, accompanied by patience and respect, is leading them back to an encounter with Christ. This reminds us that for the priest, this is not a time for withdrawal or resignation, but for faithful presence and generous availability. All of this stems from the recognition that the initiative always comes from the Lord, who is already at work and precedes us with his grace.

So we can see what kind of priests Madrid – and the Church as a whole – needs at this time. Certainly not men defined by the multiplication of tasks or the pressure to obtain results, but men configured to Christ, capable of sustaining their ministry from a living relationship with Him, nourished by the Eucharist and expressed in a pastoral charity marked by the sincere gift of self. It is not a question of inventing new models or redefining the identity we have received, but of re-proposing, with renewed intensity, the priesthood in its most authentic core – being alter Christus – allowing Him to shape our lives, unify our hearts and give form to a ministry lived in intimacy with God, faithful dedication to the Church, and tangible service to the people entrusted to us.

Dear sons, allow me today to speak to you about the priesthood using an image that is very familiar to you: your Cathedral. Not to describe a building, but to learn from it. Because cathedrals – like any sacred place – exist, like the priesthood, to lead us to an encounter with God and reconciliation with our brothers and sisters, and their elements contain a lesson for our life and ministry.

When we contemplate its façade, we already learn something essential. It is the first thing we see, and yet it does not say everything: it indicates, suggests, invites. So too, the priest does not live to display himself, but neither does he live to hide himself. His life is called to be visible, consistent and recognizable, even if it is not always understood. The façade does not exist for itself: it leads to the interior. In the same way, the priest is never an end in himself. His whole life is called to refer to God and to accompany the passage towards the Mystery, without usurping its place.

When we reach the threshold, we understand that not everything should enter inside, for it is a sacred space. The threshold marks a passage, a necessary separation. Before entering, something remains outside. The priesthood is also lived in this way: being in the world, but not of the world (cf. Jn 17:14). At this crossroads lie celibacy, poverty and obedience; not as a denial of life, but as the practical way that enables the priest to belong entirely to God without ceasing to walk among men.

The cathedral is also a common home, where everyone has a place. This is what the Church is called to be, especially for her priests: a home that welcomes, protects and does not abandon. And this is how priestly fraternity should be lived: as the concrete experience of knowing that we are at home, responsible for one another, attentive to the life of our brother and ready to support one another. My children, no one should feel exposed or alone in the exercise of their ministry: resist together the individualism that impoverishes the heart and weakens the mission!

As we walk through the temple, we notice that everything rests on the columns that support the entire structure. The Church has seen in them the image of the Apostles (cf. Eph 2:20). Nor does the priestly life sustain itself, but rather it is sustained by the apostolic witness received and transmitted in the living Tradition of the Church and safeguarded by the Magisterium (cf. 1 Cor 11:2; 2 Tim 1:13-14). When the priest remains anchored to this foundation, he avoids building on the sand of partial interpretations or circumstantial emphases, and relies on the firm rock that goes before him and surpasses him (cf. Mt 7:24-27).

Before we reach the presbytery, the cathedral shows us discreet but fundamental places: in the baptismal font the People of God are born; in the confessional they are continually regenerated. In the sacraments, grace is revealed as the truest and most effective force of the priestly ministry. Therefore, dear sons, celebrate the sacraments with dignity and faith, being aware that what is produced in them is the true force that builds up the Church and that they are the ultimate goal to which our entire ministry is ordered. But do not forget that you are not the source, but the channel, and that you also need to drink from that water. Therefore, do not fail to go to confession, to always return to the mercy that you proclaim.

Various chapels open onto the central space. Each one has its own history and dedication. Although they differ in art and composition, they all share the same orientation; none is turned in on itself, none breaks the harmony of the whole. This is also true in the Church with the different charisms and spiritualities through which the Lord enriches and sustains your vocation. Each one receives a particular way of expressing faith and nourishing interiority, but all remain oriented towards the same centre.

Let us look at the centre of everything, my sons: here is revealed what gives meaning to what you do every day and where your ministry springs from. On the altar, through your hands, Christ’s sacrifice is made present in the highest action entrusted to human hands; in the tabernacle, He whom you have offered dwells, entrusted once again to your care. Be worshippers, men of deep prayer, and teach your people to do the same.

At the end of this journey, to be the priests that the Church needs today, I leave you with the same advice as your holy compatriot, Saint John of Avila: “Be wholly his” (Sermon 57). Be saints! I entrust you to Saint Mary of Almudena and, with a heart full of gratitude, I impart my Apostolic Blessing, which I extend to all those entrusted to your pastoral care.

From the Vatican, 28 January 2026, Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor of the Church.

LEO PP. XIV