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AQVA Exhibition at the Vatican Apostolic Library

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Water is something we all tend to take for granted, except for those times when there is not enough–or too much–or, as is the case in some parts of the world, it is unsafe to drink.

“AQVA” is the inaugural exhibition of the Vatican Apostolic Library’s new five‑year cycle Catastrophe and Wonder (Catastrofe e Meraviglia), inaugurated on September 14, 2026 by Pope Leo XIV.

“AQVA” (Catastrophe and Wonder – Year I, 2026–2027) marks the beginning of a new multi‑year exhibition program at the Vatican Apostolic Library. It examines water’s dual nature—life‑giving and destructive—through an immersive, interdisciplinary installation.

♦ Water as threat: floods, decay, and the vulnerability of manuscripts.

♦ Water as resource: life, renewal, and cultural inspiration.

The exhibit focuses on natural elements as metaphors for humanity’s fears and hopes, especially threats to written heritage such as water, fire, light, insects, and human intervention. The exhibition pairs rare Vatican manuscripts, books, engravings, and cookbooks with contemporary works, also addressing water damage to heritage items and restoration.

Central historical piece

Ippolito Salviani’s Aquatilium animalium historia (1557), a landmark Renaissance treatise on aquatic animals (celebrating its 470th anniversary).

Featured artworks by artists

JR (French artist): “Diluvium”: A monumental site-specific installation (roughly 230 feet (70 meters) long , up to 98 feet (~30 meters) high, covering the Library’s façade. Inspired by Gustave Doré’s depiction of the Great Flood, it evokes the vulnerability of knowledge and memory (and alludes to climate change). It is the first such exterior commission for the building.

Bill Moran (American typographer): “Letterfishes”: Typographic/marine artworks creating sea creatures from letters, integrating letterpress and typographic design with the Library’s heritage, inspired by historical sources.

Fulvio Pierangelini (Italian chef): linking culinary culture, ecology, and the materiality of water culinary‑thematic contributions connecting gastronomy with the exhibition’s themes.

Two exceptional copies of Ippolito Salviani’s Aquatilium animalium historia (1557): a Renaissance masterpiece combining scientific study of fish, fine engraving, and culinary culture are displayed in honor of the 470th anniversary of its publication, originally funded by the Vatican Library.

The exhibit continues through spaces linking the Vatican Library’s heritage with aquatic themes and contemporary artistic languages and concludes in the Barberini Hall, transformed into a contemplative environment.

Note: We, as Christians, are called to care for our physical surroundings, but Catholic voices argue that key segments of the movement have adopted naturalistic or neo-pagan premises, overstated certainty on complex climate models or policy efficacy, and subordinated human dignity.

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Pope Leo will travel to Italy

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On February 19 the Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV will travel to six destinations across Italy this year, all either day or half-day trips, ranging from the south to the north of Italy.

OK, we created that headline to see if you were paying attention….as you probably know, Pope Leo does not live in Italy….he lives in the Vatican City State…in effect, a separate country…..sharing its entire 2-mile (approx. 3.2 kilometer  land border exclusively with Italy…..Vatican City-state is actually an enclave situated surrounded by the city of Rome. So, whenever he ventures more than a few hundred yards, he is in Italy.

The announcement of the Italian trips comes amid speculation about Pope Leo’s international travels. The Vatican has yet to officially confirm any international papal travel in 2026 (we might point out that since Vatican City-State is a separate country, any travel outside of Vatican City is technically “international”).

Here is Pope Leo’s travel schedule in Italy for May 2026:

As mentioned, these are short trips, either half-day or full-day.  In each case he will return to the Vatican each night.

May 8
Pompeii:  The most symbolic of the trips will bring the pope south to the Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii on the first anniversary of his election to the Papacy on May 8, 2025. which is also the The Feast of Our Lady of Pompeii (also known as Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii), to whom Pope Leo entrusted his mission as pope. He will offer Mass here.

Naples: He will then travel to nearby Naples for an afternoon visit, where he will meet with clergy and religious at the city’s cathedral and greet the faithful in the Piazza Plebiscito, one of the largest public squares in Italy.

May 23
Acerra (the ‘Land of Fires’):  On May 23, the pope is scheduled to visit Acerra, a town of roughly 60,000 people located about nine miles northeast of Naples in a region known as the Terre dei Fuochi, or “Land of Fires.” For decades, the area has been afflicted by illegal waste dumping and burning, much of it linked to organized crime, causing elevated rates of illness among local residents. Pope Leo has chosen to visit on the eve of the anniversary of “Laudato Si’,” Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical on care for the environment.

June 20
Pavia: the final resting place of St. Augustine.  On June 20, the Augustinian pope will travel north to Pavia, a city in Lombardy, to pay tribute to St. Augustine of Hippo. The Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro in Pavia houses the remains of the fourth-century bishop and theologian, one of the most influential figures in Christian history. Augustine, born in what is now Algeria, died in A.D. 430. His relics were transferred north to Lombardy in the eighth century.

July 4
Lampedusa: Pope Leo will visit Lampedusa, the tiny Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea that lies closer to the coast of Tunisia, roughly 70 miles away, than to Sicily, some 127 miles to the north. Pope Francis visited Lampedusa in July 2013 to draw attention to those who had lost their lives attempting the crossing from the African coast, making it the first trip of his pontificate. The island has since remained a powerful symbol of the global migration crisis, serving as a primary European entry point for migrants, many coming from Libya and Tunisia.

August 6
Assisi: Pope Leo will travel to Assisi today, the Umbrian hill town and birthplace of St. Francis, to offer Mass and meet with young Europeans as part of the Church’s celebration of the special jubilee year marking the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’s death. The papal visit coincides with the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord and falls a few days after the annual celebration for Assisi’s Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, the 16th-century Church built over the small chapel where St. Francis founded the Franciscan order. Each year during the first week of August pilgrims to the basilica can receive a plenary indulgence (under the usual conditions), recalling St. Francis mystical experience at the site in 1216 in which St. Francis asked Christ to offer complete remission of all sins, to all those who, repented and confessed, within that Church.

August 22
Rimini: The final announced visit will take Pope Leo to Rimini on Aug. 22 for the Meeting for Friendship Amongst Peoples, an annual gathering organized by Communion and Liberation, a Catholic lay movement with roots in Italy. Pope Leo will be the first pope to attend the event, known informally as the Rimini Meeting, and will also offer Mass with Catholics of the diocese.

Although not officially confirmed, the following are often mentioned:

Bishops in Angola and Equatorial Guinea have referenced upcoming papal visits, and Church officials in Spain have similarly indicated they expect Pope Leo in June.

A one-day visit to Monaco and a year-end return to Peru, where Pope Leo spent significant years of his ministry before his election to the papacy, has also been the subject of discussion.

A Vatican spokesman confirmed earlier this month that there are no plans for Pope Leo to travel to the United States or Mexico this year.

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Pope Leo apostolic journey to Africa: Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea,

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The Vatican announced on February 25, 2026, that he will undertake a 10-day apostolic journey to four African countries from April 13 to 23, 2026. This marks his first pastoral trip to the continent as pope and highlights the rapid growth of Catholicism in Africa, where the number of Catholics is increasing faster than anywhere else in the world.

Key Stops include:

Algeria (April 13–15): Algiers and Annaba (following in the footsteps of St. Augustine, born in what is now Algeria; this will be the first-ever papal visit to the country).

Cameroon (April 15–18): Yaoundé (capital), Douala (economic hub), and Bamenda (in the restive Northwest region amid ongoing conflict).

Angola (April 18–21): Luanda, Muxima, and Saurimo.

Equatorial Guinea (April 21–23): Malabo, Mongomo, and Bata (the continent’s only Spanish-speaking nation).

The full official program of events has not yet been released, but the trip is expected to emphasize interfaith dialogue (especially Christian-Muslim relations in Algeria), support for development, community outreach, and strengthening ties with growing African Catholic communities.

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Pope Leo XIV possible visit to Monaco in March

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The Holy See Press Office has confirmed that a visit by Leo XIV to the Principality of Monaco is currently being considered for the end of March.

On January 17, 2026, Prince Albert II of Monaco traveled to the Vatican to meet the new Pope. On that occasion, he officially invited Pope Leo XIV to visit Monaco. A few weeks later, the Holy See Press Office told journalists that the project was indeed under consideration without specifying the final details. It could be a one-day trip, similar to Pope Francis’s short visit to Corsica on 15 December 2024.

If the visit goes ahead, it would be of considerable historical significance, as no Pope has ever visited Monaco. However, Monaco’s attachment to the new Pontiff is part of a tradition of respectful diplomatic relations and historically strong ties with the Holy See.

Catholicism is the state religion in Monaco, and it was precisely under the pontificate of Pope Leo XIII that Monaco gained its religious autonomy, with the creation of its own diocese in 1887. A symbolic detail that is sure to resonate: the current Leo XIV chose his papal name in reference to Leo XIII, known for his teachings on social justice.

The Principality also shares with the Vatican the status of being one of the smallest sovereign states in the world (less than one square mile in area, with some 39,000 inhabitants).

The short one-day format would limit the trip to central Monte Carlo/Monaco-Ville area, probably including a formal welcome, private audience, and possibly a meeting or address in the Prince’s Palace (Palais Princier) in Monaco-Ville: As the official residence of Prince Albert II, this would almost certainly feature.

We assume he would also visit Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate (also known as Saint Nicholas Cathedral), the main Catholic cathedral in Monaco, burial site of many Grimaldi family members (including Grace Kelly).

The program would likely involve a Mass, meetings with clergy/authorities, and greetings to the faithful, emphasizing unity, peace, and Catholic values in a historic first for the principality.Official confirmation and a detailed schedule are expected in the coming weeks.

You can read moe Catholic places of interest in Monaco here.

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New exhibit at the Vatican: “Peter is here”

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“Pétros ení” (“Peter is here”) is an immersive exhibition exploring the story of the apostle Peter and the world’s largest Christian basilica. A journey that weaves together spirituality, art and technology in a unique blend of past and present.

The exhibition itinerary unfolds inside the Octagonal Halls, historic spaces located within one of the pillars supporting the Dome. These halls have been expertly restored for the occasion by the skilled artisans of the Fabbrica di San Pietro and opened to the public for the first time for this occasion.

The narrative journey follows two paths. One reveals the origins of the Basilica and its construction history, focusing on the tomb of Saint Peter. The other guides the visitor through the key events of the apostle’s life, up to his martyrdom. The story of Peter is interwoven with that of the Basilica, which is shown as it evolves through the centuries.

“Pétros ení: Saint Peter’s Digital Experience” is therefore a temporal and spiritual journey built around the figure of Saint Peter and the relevance of his testimony, which lives on reflected in the history of the Basilica and its living community.

The full experience lasts approximately 60 minutes and includes check-in at the meeting point, the transfer to the Octagonal Halls, the immersive exhibition (approx. 30 minutes), and access to the Vatican Grottoes, from where the self-guided Basilica tour with the Digital Audio Guide begins.

The project is the result of a wider collaboration between the Fabbrica di San Pietro, Microsoft, Iconem and other international partners. It centres on a process that made it possible to digitise Saint Peter’s Basilica in 3D using over 400,000 photographs, creating a faithful ‘digital twin’, supported in addition by artificial intelligence.

According to the Vatican, “This model not only allows visitors to virtually explore the Basilica in a totally innovative way — through a journey that began over two thousand years ago — but that also serves as a powerful tool for the maintenance, management and preservation of the immense artistic heritage contained within it“.

Source: Vatican News Service

Click here for the official website of the exhibit, including times and prices.

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The Vatican will install a pro-life Nativity scene for 2025

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For Christmas 2025, the Vatican will install a pro-life nativity scene in the Paul VI Audience Hall, said to be the first-ever pro-life nativity scene here.

This display, where conferences and the weekly Papal Audiences are held will have a pro-life theme titled “Gaudium” (Latin for joy….the word appears in the titles of significant Catholic documents, such as “Gaudium et Spes” (Joy and Hope) and “Evangelii Gaudium” (The Joy of the Gospel).

The display will be 16 feet (five meters) long, almost 10 feet (three meters) deep, and 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) high.

It will feature a depiction of the Virgin Mary while she is pregnant. The scene will include 28,000 ribbons, which represent lives saved from abortion through prayer and pro-life efforts.

The display will also include traditional nativity figures such as Saint Joseph, the Three Wise Men, shepherds, and animals.

The pro-life nativity scene was designed by Costa Rican artist Paula Sáenz.

The creators plan to use an interchangeable figure, replacing the pregnant Mary with one adoring the Christ Child in a crib on Christmas Eve.

Note: there will be, as usual, a nativity scene in Saint Peter’s Square. The theme of the Nativity scene for the Jubilee Year 2025 is love, and it will depict scenes from daily life filled with affection and activity. The Nativity scene is expected to be unveiled around December 6, 2025, and will likely remain on display until January 12, Epiphany (the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord) marking the end of the Christmas season and a transition to Ordinary Time.

Editor’s note:  Announcing this as a pro-life nativity scene seems rather redundant to us, since Joseph and Mary bringing the baby Jesus into the world is just about the most pro-life image that we can imagine!