Pope Leo Celebrates Ordination Day with Staff at Historic Vatican Radio Centre

Vatican, June 20, 2025: On the anniversary of his priestly ordination, Pope Leo XIV made a special visit to the Vatican Radio shortwave transmission centre in Santa Maria di Galeria, in Italy’s Lazio region. The Holy See Press Office informed journalists of the excursion through a Telegram update, noting that the Holy Father met and conversed with the staff, toured the transmitter hall designed by architect Pier Luigi Nervi, and sat in the control room used for shortwave broadcasts.

The centre, inaugurated by Pope Pius XII in 1957, had last been visited by a Pope in 1991, when Pope St. John Paul II made a similar trip. During his time at the site, Pope Leo showed a keen interest in the functioning of the antennas, transmission operations, and the centre’s digital disaster recovery system. He recalled how, during his missionary years in Latin America and Africa, Vatican Radio’s shortwave service had been a vital link, especially in regions unreachable by most broadcasters, reaffirming the missionary importance of global communication.

After imparting his Apostolic Blessing on those present, Pope Leo expressed heartfelt gratitude for the dedication of the staff, commending their “fidelity and continuity, even on a feast day like today,” the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. The visit concluded with a small reception in the company of the team.

The Press Office also noted that the Pope examined the extraterritorial zone, established through agreements with the Italian government in 1951. A proposed project under consideration, based on the motu proprio Fratello Sole, aims to install an agrivoltaic system in the area—designed to supply power to the radio centre and ensure complete energy self-sufficiency for Vatican City State.

Courtesy: Vatican News