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Internal view of second loggia. Photo by A. Bracchetti, 2007. Copyright © SCV Governorate – Museums Directorate. All rights reserved

Vatican launches five-year restoration of Raphael’s Loggia

June 25, 2026June 25, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

A team of 20 restorers is to use laser technology on one of the most significant projects in the Vatican Museums’ history – Raphael’s Loggia.

Pope Leo XIV By Edgar Beltrán, The Pillar, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=165153532

Pope Leo XIV welcomes Iran-US deal

June 18, 2026June 18, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

The pontiff used his weekly audience and remarks to reporters to address both the Iran-US peace agreement and his sharpest comments yet on far-right migration policy.

Martin van Heemskerck: Sack of Rome in 1527, killing of the imperial commander Charles III of Bourbon (1555)

On this day: The 1527 Sack of Rome

May 6, 2026May 6, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

On 6 May 1527, an imperial army breached the walls of Rome, triggering one of the most catastrophic episodes in the history of the city. Known as the Sack of Rome, it brought the Renaissance papacy to its knees.

Pope Leo XIV and Sarah Mulally, Archbishop of Canterbury. Image credit: VaticanMedia

Pope and first female Archbishop of Canterbury meet

April 27, 2026April 27, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

Pope Leo XIV and the newly installed Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, met at the Vatican on Monday. The meeting had historical significance and the frank acknowledgment of deep theological divisions — pledging nonetheless to press on together.

St Peter’s Basilica plans digital overhaul for 400th anniversary

February 17, 2026February 17, 2026Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

St Peter’s Basilica will mark the 400th anniversary of its dedication this November with new digital tools, expanded visitor services and a bespoke typeface inspired by Michelangelo’s handwriting. The Vatican unveiled the plans on Monday ahead of the anniversary celebrations scheduled for 18th November.

King Charles official visit itinerary announced

King Charles and Queen Camilla to visit the Vatican

October 18, 2025October 18, 2025Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

The Vatican has confirmed that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will make an official visit to the Holy See on Thursday, 23 October, during Italy’s Jubilee Year. The visit will include a private audience with Pope Leo XIV and several events highlighting the shared commitment of the Catholic and Anglican Churches to environmental care […]

Vatican proposes solar farm on controversial radio site.

Vatican to build solar farm on controversial site

August 4, 2025August 4, 2025Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

A 430-hectare site north of Rome, once at the centre of a long-running health controversy, is set to become a solar farm powering the Vatican’s green transition.

Pope Leo XIV. Photograph: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty

Robert Prevost becomes Pope Leo XIV

May 8, 2025May 8, 2025Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

VATICAN CITY, 8 May 2025 – White smoke rose over the Sistine Chapel on Thursday. It marked a historic moment for the Catholic Church as Robert Prevost, as a 69-year-old cleric from Chicago was elected as the 267th pope. Taking the name Leo XIV, he becomes the first American to lead the Roman Catholic Church.

The first vote in the papal conclave resulted in black smoke, meaning the vote was inconclusive. Image credit: Vatican

Black smoke after first papal conclave vote

May 8, 2025May 8, 2025Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

Vatican City, 8 May 2025 – Black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday evening, signalling that the first vote of the papal conclave has not yielded a new pope.

Sistine Chapel in readiment for the papal conclave. Image: copyright Vatican media

Cardinals gather for mass ahead of papal conclave

May 7, 2025May 7, 2025Deborah CaterLeave a Comment

Cardinals gathered in Saint Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday morning for the Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice Mass. The special service took place ahead of the conclave to elect the next pope, following Pope Francis’s death on 21 April.