The Pope visiting the center of the Vatican radio
Thursday morning, festive day in the Vatican for the solemnity of Corpus Christi (which in all of Italy is celebrated next Sunday), Pope Leone XIV visited the Santa Maria di Galeria, in the extra territorial area where the Radio center on the short broadcast of the Vatican radio, Dicastery for communication. He met the staff of the Center, with whom he retained in conversation, visited the transmitter room designed by the architect Pier Luigi Nervi and sat in the control room for the short broadcasts. The Pope informed himself about the functioning of the antennas, transmissions and the digital disaster recovery system, and with the staff he celebrated his 43rd priesthood anniversary with a small refreshment, which falls on June 19th.
Pope Leone, explained the press room of the Holy See in a note, underlined how during his missionary work in Latin America and Africa it was valuable to be able to receive short wave broadcasts of the Vatican radio, who reach places where a few issuers manage to arrive, e He reaffirmed the missionary value of communication.
Finally, in blessing all those present, he thanked for the work carried out with loyalty and continuity, even in a day of celebration such as that of Corpus Domini. Subsequently, the Pontiff had the opportunity to examine the extra territorial area whose status dates back to the agreements with the Italian government of 1951, for which, on the basis of the motu proprio Brother sunis to study A agrivoltaic system project that ensures not only the electrical power supply of the radio station, but also the complete energy sustenance of the state of the Vatican city.
The radio center was inaugurated by Pope Pius XII in 1957. The last visit of a pope to the radio center and the Santa Maria di Galeria area dates back to 1991, the year in which it was seen there John Paul II.
Returning to the priestly ordination anniversary, Prevost was ordered on June 19, 1982 in Chapel of Santa Monica in Rome, A stone’s throw from the Vatican and that square of the Holy Office where the Pope currently resides. To confer the ordination was the Belgian archbishop Jean Jadot, At the time pro-president of the secretariat for non-Christians after being apostolic delegate and pro-nuncio in Asia, Africa and finally in the United States of America.
At the time of ordination, Father Robert Francis Prevost was 27 years old And he had already studied canon law at the Pontifical San Tommaso d’Aquino University. He had entered five years earlier in the order of Sant’Agostino and in 1981 he had issued the solemn votes. In 1985 he would then be sent as a missionary to Peru, serving in the Chulucanas mission, Piura. As a memory image, the representation of the Last Supper, depicted in a Russian icon of the fifteenth century, and the words of Sermon 339 of Sant’Agostino: «For me to feed all of you with common bread is something I can’t do. But this word is your portion. I have from the same canteen that nourishes me. I’m your servant ».
Meanwhile, just over a month after the beginning of the pontificate, the Vatican media publish Friday 20 June León de Peru, a documentary (above, the trailer) that traces the Steps of Robert Francis Prevost’s mission in Peruvian land.
An itinerary that winds through Chulucanas, Trujillo, Lima, Callao, Chiclayoin which the voices of various witnesses describe the figure and the pastoral and social work of the future Pope.
The documentary is a production of the editorial management of the Dicastery for communication and was made by journalists Salvatore Cernuzio, Felipe Herrera-Espaliat and Jaime Vizcaíno Haro.
At 5pm, the documentary will be published on the YouTube channel of Vatican News In three languages (Spanish, Italian and English) and widespread through other international media. For journalists credited to the Press Room of the Holy See, a preview projection is scheduled at 4 pm in the Vatican Filmoteca.