Pope Leo XIV left this morning from the Vatican to visit the extraterritorial area of Santa María de Galeria, where the Vatican Radio Short Wave Transmission Center is located, under the Dicasteria for the communication of the Vatican.
As reported by the press office of the Holy See in a statement, during the visit, the Holy Father met “with the center staff, with whom she had a nearby conversation.”
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He also toured the historic transmitter room, projected by the famous Italian architect Pier Luigi Nervi, and sat in the control room where the transmissions are managed in short wave.
The Pope was personally interested in the technical functioning of the antennas, the transmissions system and the digital recovery mechanism in case of emergency. ”
Subsequently, he celebrated with the workers a small snack on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of his priestly ordination, which is commemorated today, also coinciding with the solemnity of Corpus Christi.
During the meeting, Leo XIV highlighted the value of missionary code communication, remembering how transmissions in short wave of Vatican radio were a fundamental resource during their pastoral work in Latin America and Africa: “They reached places where very few stations could reach,” said the Pontiff. In his final message, he blessed everyone present and thanked the work done with fidelity and continuity, even on a holiday.
After the meeting, the Pope also had the opportunity to examine the extraterritorial land whose status was defined by the agreements with the Italian government in 1951. In this context, and as provided in the Motu Proprio Fratello Sole, an agrivoltaic installation project is currently being studied.
This initiative would not only guarantee “the power supply center, but also the complete energy self -supply of the state of the city of the Vatican,” according to the Vatican.
The radio center was inaugurated in 1957 by Pope Pius XII. The last papal visit to this area had taken place in 1991, when San Juan Paul II went to the place.
Victoria Cardiel
Victoria Cardiel is a journalist specialized in social and religious information issues. Since 2013, he has covered all the news of the Vatican for various media, such as the Spanish news agency Europa Press, or the weekly of the Archdiocese of Madrid, Alfa and Omega.