Hello and welcome to this week’s Vaticano Updates – the most important news from the Holy Father and the Vatican.
TOP 1) Sacrament of Marriage Is a Gift
In a meeting with the Roman Rota, the Church’s highest court for annulments, Pope Francis praised marriage as a “gift” that cannot simply be dissolved. He emphasized that it does not limit freedom but is upheld by God’s grace. “The sacrament of marriage is a promise from God, whose fidelity makes human fidelity possible,” the Holy Father said.
TOP 2) World Day for Consecrated Life
During first vespers for the World Day for Consecrated Life in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis urged consecrated men and women to be “bearers of light” in today’s world by faithfully living the evangelical counsels. Addressing thousands of religious, he explained how poverty, chastity, and obedience can transform society through God’s love. Observed annually on February 2, this year’s celebration takes on special significance as the Church prepares for the Jubilee of Consecrated Life in October.
TOP 3) Pope Urges Ukrainian Youth to Pursue Peace
Pope Francis encouraged Ukrainian youth to remain committed to dialogue and patriotism, acknowledging how hard it is to forgive amid ongoing conflict. He described “being patriots” as “the mysticism of young Ukrainians today.” Connecting online with about 250 young people in Kyiv and elsewhere in Europe and the Americas, the encounter began with prayer and continued with testimonies about the war’s impact on their lives and communities.
TOP 4) Pope Francis to Meet Rome's Priests
Pope Francis is going to meet the Roman clergy on Thursday, March 6, at the Basilica of St. John Lateran. The last meeting with diocesan and religious priests serving in pastoral ministry in Rome, as well as permanent deacons, took place on January 13, 2024.
TOP 5) Papal Document On Children
Pope Francis announced he will focus on children in a new papal document, noting, “Children look to us to see how we send life forward.” He also spoke about the unborn, warning that in a “throwaway mentality,” where people behave as though “all-powerful,” unborn life is sacrificed through “the murderous practice of abortion.”
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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.
