Bulletins, Newsletters, and Flocknotes

On Monday 7 September, at 18.00, the Holy Father Leo XIV will celebrate Holy Mass in the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano, on the eve of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On 20 June 2026, the Holy Father appointed His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, as Pontifical Legate for the celebrations scheduled to take place on 16 and 17 August 2026, on the occasion of the ninth centenary of the return of the Relics of the Martyr Saint Agatha to Catania.

The Pontifical Legate will be accompanied by a Pontifical Mission composed of the following ecclesiastics:

1. Reverend Vincenzo BRANCHINA, vicar general of the archdiocese;

2. Reverend Roberto INTERLANDI, archiepiscopal chancellor.

The following is the Letter sent by the Holy Father to the Special Envoy, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin:

 

Letter of the Holy Father

Venerabili Fratri Nostro

PETRO S.R.E. Card. PAROLIN

Secretario Status

Praeclarum fidelitatis erga Christum exemplar atque usque ad plenam sui ipsius oblationem amoris, in martyrio s. Agathae ecclesialis communitas gratiae de violentia fideique de timore et caritatis de morte contemplatur victoriam. In eiusdem sollemnitate proclamat liturgia Deum christifidelibus, qui fidem in Filium suum sanguine testati sunt, aeternam gloriae praeparare dignari coronam, cum agnoscat Ecclesia « Santuzza » illam – sicuti vulgo dicitur – libera et invicta voluntate, vitam suam benedictum, adscriptum, ratum, rationabile acceptabileque holocaustum incorruptibilis amoris Deo et virtute martyrii et merito castitatis (cf. Miss. Rom ., 5 Febr., coll .) obtulisse. Cuius ergo sacrificium tamquam plena Paschatis Christi participatio apparet simulque praeclarum testimonium virtutis, quam Dominus illis infundit, qui in temptatione ac probatione perseverant firmi.

Proinde, peropportune Catana s. Agatham habet patronam spiritualemque matrem, praesentiam videlicet vivam, quae populi christianam custodit memoriam eumque ad evangelicam congruentiam vitae, necnon ad spem et caritatem advocat, atque eiusdem quoque reliquias devota pietate prosequitur, quae venerationem erga corpus martyris exprimit tamquam templum Spiritus Sancti ac sanctorum communionem visibilem reddit, in fidelibus conscientiam corroborans Ecclesiam in terris peregrinantem intercessione et exemplo eorum sustentari, qui iam gloriae caelestis participes effecti sunt.

Valde laetamur, igitur, de IX centesima occurrente memoria reliquiarum s. Agathae martyris providentis reditus ad metropolim Aetneam. Quam proinde recolentes insignem occasionem, Venerabilis Fratris Aloisii Renna, Catanensis Archiepiscopi Metropolitae, humanissimae petitioni libenter concedere volumus, qui enixe postulavit, ut Missarum sollemnia honori sibi ducere possint praesentiam ac verbum Tui, Venerabilis Frater Noster, quod Nostram erga conventam fidelium communitatem manifestet dilectionem.

Ad hanc ergo petitionem mentem Nostram convertentes, persuasissimum habemus Te, qui munus Secretarii Status studiose exerces ac praecipuas cum insigni ista urbe habes necessitudines, peraptum esse, ut Nostras vices ibi geras, erga dilectissimam Catanensem christifidelium communitatem proximitatem Nostram manifestans. Te, proinde, hisce Litteris Legatum Nostrum nominamus ad sollemnia diebus XVI et XVII proximi mensis Augusti agenda, in IX centesima memoria a reditu reliquiarum s. Agathae martyris in eximiam Catanensem metropolitanam urbem.

Libenter Tibi potestatem facimus, dum insigni eidem occasioni intereris, Archiepiscopum Catanensem et universum christifidelium coetum, necnon publicas auctoritates nomine Nostro salutandi ac benedicendi, quos cohorteris , ut, bonam hanc Sponsam Christi sequentes ac continua mentis suae cognitione Crucem gloriosam revolventes, exemplo eius doceantur ad verum bonum, qui solus Deus est, omnes sine mora contendere (cfr Methodius Siculus, Or. in s. Agatham ).

Dum Tibi, Venerabilis Frater Noster, Benedictionem impertimur omni­bus, qui celebrationi aderunt, transmittendam, legationem Tuam ardentibus precibus comitamur, a Deo misericordiae suppliciter obsecrantes, ut de hac festivitate, intercedente s. Agatha, martyre, multiplices carpant fructus.

Ex Aedibus Vaticanis, die XIII mensis Iulii, anno Domini MMXXVI, Pontificatus Nostri secundo.

                                                                       LEO PP. XIV

On 18 July 2026, the Holy Father appointed His Eminence Cardinal Francesco Montenegro, archbishop emeritus of Agrigento, as his Special Envoy to the celebrations for the seventh centenary of the arrival of Praia a Mare (diocese of San Marco Argentano – Scalea, Cosenza in Calabria) of the primitive effigy of the “All Holy Mother of God”, to take place at the diocesan shrine of “Santa Maria della Grotta” from 14 to 15 August 2026.

The Pontifical Mission will be composed of the following ecclesiastics:

1. Reverend Paolo RAIMONDI, parish priest of the parish of “Santa Maria della Grotta” and rector of the Shrine of “Santa Maria della Grotta” in Praia a Mara;

2. Reverend Antonio FASANO, episcopal chancellor.

The following is the Letter sent by the Holy Father to the Special Envoy, His Eminence Cardinal Francesco Montenegro:

 

Letter of the Holy Father

Venerabili Fratri Nostro

FRANCISCO S.R.E. Card. MONTENEGRO

Archiepiscopo emerito Agrigentino

Christi celebrans mysterium, Beatam Mariam Virginem commemorat Ecclesia Filio intime devinctam, mulierem recolens novam, quae, Christi mortis intuitu, in ipsa conceptione sublimiore modo est redempta; matrem, quae, Spiritus Sancti virtute, Filium virginaliter genuit; discipulam, quae Magistri verba sedula in corde suo custodivit; et Redemptoris sociam ex divino consilio operi Filii generose totam devotam; atque in eadem agnoscit supereminens quoque ac singulare membrum omni copia exornatum virtutum, quam in itinere fidei et in aerumnis vitae comitem profitetur, in ea, iam in caelesti regno apud Filium locata, imaginem futurae suae gloriae laeta contemplans in eius in caelum praefiguratae Assumptione, ubi stat Virgo Dei Mater tamquam Ecclesiae consummandae initium et imago ac populo peregrinanti certae spei et solacii documentum (cfr Missale Romanum , In Assumptione BMV, praefatio ).

Hoc marialis fidei sustentati argumento, valde laetamur de VII centesima occurrente memoria ab inventione simulacri Dominae Nostrae a Crypta ad litus Scaleense apud Bruttios. Quam proinde re­co­len­tes occasionem, Venerabilis Fratris Stephani Rega, Sancti Marci Argentanensis - Scaleensis episcopi, humanissimae petitioni libenter concedere volumus, qui enixe postulavit, ut Missarum sollemnia honori sibi ducere possint praesen­tiam ac verbum alicuius Eminentissimi Viri, qui Nostras vices ibi gerat No­stramque erga conventam communitatem manifestet dilectionem.

Ad Te ergo, Venerabilis Frater Noster, mentem Nostram convertimus, qui praecipuas loci necessitudines ita comperis, ut hodie peraptus videaris, qui, Nostras vices ibi gerens, erga istam communitatem pro­xi­mita­tem Nostram manifestes, praesentia ac verbo Tuo celebrationem huius iu­bi­laris anni exornans. Te, proinde, ad hanc legationem obeundam elegimus et,   his­ce Litteris, Missum Extraordinarium Nostrum nominamus ad Missarum sollemnia, diebus XIV et XV proximi mensis Augusti agenda, in VII centesima memoria a celebris simulacri Deipearae inventione.

Libenter Tibi potestatem facimus, dum insigni eidem occasioni intereris, Pastorem Sancti Marci Argentanensis - Scaleensem totumque christifidelium coetum et publicas auctoritates Nostro nomine salutandi ac benedicendi, intercedente Christi Matre in caelum assumpta, quae hominibus hodiernis, haud raro inter angorem et spem iactatis, serenum praebet prospectum hominibus aerumnis afflictis, numquam materna dilectione intercedere desinens.

Dum Tibi, Venerabilis Frater Noster, Benedictionem impertimur omni­bus, qui celebrationi aderunt, transmittendam, legationem Tuam ardentibus precibus comitamur, a Deo misericordiae suppliciter obsecrantes, ut de huius Anni Iubilaris festivitate multiplices carpant fructus.

Ex Aedibus Vaticanis, die XIII mensis Iulii, anno Domini MMXXVI, Pontificatus Nostri secundo.

                                                                                              LEO PP. XIV

This morning, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience:

- His Eminence Cardinal Lazarus Heung-sik You, prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy.

Accredited journalists are notified that applications are now being accepted for admission to the Papal Flight for the announced Apostolic Journey of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to France and Visit to the Headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organzation (UNESCO) , to take place from 25 to 28 September 2026, with the following itinerary:

 

Friday 25 September 2026

Rome/Fiumicino – Paris (1.152 km, 2h 10’, ITA Airways)

Saturday 26 September 2026

Paris – Lourdes (700 km, 1h 20’, Air France)

Monday 28 September 2026

Lourdes –Metz (1.075 km, 1h 40’, Air France)

Metz – Rome/Fiumicino (1.075 Km, 1h 50’, Air France)

Time zone

Rome +2h UTC

Paris +2h UTC

Lourdes +2h UTC

Metz +2h UTC

The provisional programme for the announced Apostolic Journey of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to France and Visit to the Headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has been published in Bulletin No. 626 today, Friday 7 August 2026.

Applications for admission to the Papal Flight may be made solely via the Holy See Press Office online accreditation system at press.vatican.va/accreditamenti , by registering as a user on the system or logging in with your credentials and selecting the relevant event from the Events Calendar.

The deadline for applications for admission to the Papal Flight is Wednesday 12 August 2026, at 12 noon.