Hello and welcome to this week’s Vaticano Updates – the most important news from the Holy Father and the Vatican.
TOP 1) 'God's influencer'
A teenager known as "God's influencer" for his digital talents will be canonized as a saint in April 2025 during the Jubilee for teenagers in Rome. Carlo Acutis, who passed away from leukemia in 2006 at just 15, will become the first millennial saint, representing those born between the early 1980s and late 1990s. In May, Pope Francis approved a second miracle attributed to Carlo, paving the way for his sainthood. Often called "the patron saint of the internet," Carlo is celebrated for cataloging miracles online and managing websites for Catholic organizations.
TOP 2) Pope Denounces Hypocrisy in Peace Talks
At a Vatican event marking the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Argentina and Chile, Pope Francis condemned the hypocrisy of nations that speak of peace while profiting from the arms trade, calling it a "pharisaical attitude" that inevitably undermines fraternity and peace. He pointed to the conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine as tragic examples of humanity's failure, where arrogance “prevails over dialogue."
TOP 3) Passing the Cross for the Next World Youth Day
On the Solemnity of Christ the King, as the Church celebrated World Youth Day, Pope Francis presided over the handover of the WYD Cross and the icon of Mary Salus Populi Romani. During Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, young people from Portugal passed the symbols to a South Korean delegation, preparing to host World Youth Day in Seoul in 2027. In his homily, the Pope described these symbols as a call for Christians to live the Gospel with hope and perseverance.
TOP 4) Pope Urges for More Support of Married Couples
Pope Francis met with the academic community of the John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences at the Vatican, urging continued collaboration with scholars and cultural institutions to support Catholic spouses and families. He emphasized the importance of developing a "critical understanding" of the anthropological and cultural challenges facing marriage and family life today.
TOP 5) Papal Trip to Corsica
On December 15, Pope Francis will make a historic one-day visit to Corsica, France. This will be his 47th apostolic journey abroad and his third visit to French territory, following trips to Strasbourg in 2014 and Marseille in 2023. Again, he will visit the ‘periphery’ instead of the nation’s capital. He will be present during the final day of a Church conference on ‘popular piety’, a topic close to the pontiff’s heart.
Andreas Thonhauser is EWTN Vatican Bureau Chief. He earned a Master of Business Administration from the WU Executive Academy in Vienna and a Master’s degree in German Philology/Anglistics and Americanistics from the University of Vienna. Prior to joining EWTN, Thonhauser worked as the Director of External Affairs for a global human rights organization, and for several media outlets in Vienna, Austria.
