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2026: The Year Ahead With Pope Leo XIV | EWTN Vaticano — Transcript

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0:05[music]
0:16[music]
0:22[music]
0:25This week on Vaticano, we look ahead to
0:28Pope Leo I [music] 14th's first full
0:30year and the events shaping the church
0:33in 2026. Then join us for a 90-day
0:36desert journey towards Easter with
0:38EWTN's The Desert Fathers in a Year.
0:42Finally, we travel to Pompei where
0:44donated wedding dresses are restored and
0:47given to brides who can't afford one.
0:49For this and more, Vaticano starts now.
1:01On January the 17th, the church
1:03celebrates St. Anthony Abbott, one of
1:05the great desert fathers whose radical
1:08search for God in the wilderness helped
1:10shape the Christian monastic tradition.
1:17I'd read about the desert fathers and
1:19I'd read [music] a short collection of
1:20sayings before I joined the monastery.
1:23But it was when I was in the nviciate
1:24that I realized just how important this
1:27body of literature is. These sayings
1:29almost always dialogues. A young monk
1:31coming to an older monk having a problem
1:34having a a query a quandry and asking
1:37father how can I live with this? What
1:39can I do about this?
1:46And I found the answers to be so
1:48penetrating and so true and so timeless
1:51and often [music] disconcertingly
1:53addressing precisely what was going on
1:55in my own heart that I found them
1:57tremendously helpful. I still find them
1:59helpful and I think they'll be helpful
2:00to others.
2:05That's the hearts of the desert fathers
2:07in a year. A weekly series launched with
2:10Exodus 90, [music]
2:11produced in collaboration with EWTN and
2:14guided by Bishop Eric Varden of
2:16Tronheim, inviting viewers [music] to
2:18pray their way through the Desert
2:20Father's timeless teaching.
2:34Bishop Eric Varden. He's a Cistersian
2:36monk and everything that he prepared in
2:40his content was done through [music]
2:41this lens. So the place where we started
2:44first with our series was a [music]
2:45Cistersian Abbey and the Chuck Republic.
2:53We didn't select that place as the
2:56primary target, but basically Bishop
2:58Eric [music] Varden was speaking at
3:00various monasteries and conferences
3:02throughout the year, and we would just
3:04try to meet up with him wherever [music]
3:05he was at.
3:09>> From there, the team continued filming
3:11in Rome and beyond, capturing monastic
3:14life and sacred places that [music]
3:16match the spiritual landscape of the
3:18texts.
3:20And as the year closed, the series
3:22culminated in what the team called an
3:24epic pilgrimage through Italy,
3:27reflecting on St. Benedict, who carried
3:29the desert tradition into a rule of life
3:32that helped shape Christian
3:33civilization.
3:40To begin with, it just seemed like a bit
3:42of a dream to go to the foundational
3:46sites and record, but then it ended up
3:49being possible. And I'm I'm so happy
3:51that we could go to Subako and Monte
3:53Casino and see the concrete examples of
3:58what a desert might look like because a
4:00desert isn't necessarily made up of
4:01sand. You made the point right at the
4:04beginning of the series that, you know,
4:05the modern city is in many ways a
4:07desert. For me, I so I had honestly
4:09never been [music] either to Subiako or
4:11Monte Casino before, despite a couple of
4:13trips to Italy over the years, and I got
4:15to, you know, experience firsthand on a
4:18first impression the different
4:20geographies of these places, which made
4:22the significance of them for Benedict
4:25>> obvious to the senses uh even and it was
4:28a great
4:29>> and I think it's so important and I'm
4:30I'm delighted that we could go as we did
4:33straight from Subaka to Monte Casino
4:35because the the topography says so much
4:38about the spiritual journey. The
4:40experience itself is I mean it's a
4:42basically human one and unchanging.
4:53It's the series that I think had the
4:56most impact on me [music] in my work as
4:59a content creator because as a filmmaker
5:02we don't usually actively get [music] to
5:04see our audience up first face to face.
5:08Many times they're just a viewer like a
5:10number on a screen. [music] So when
5:13people are commenting not just with
5:15various random comments but really when
5:18they're commenting from the heart, it
5:20really is motivating uh in my work and
5:24uh shows me that uh what we're doing is
5:27meaningful. [music] It's impactful. It's
5:29reaching people. It's touching them and
5:31it's helping them get through difficult
5:33times. Because that's the other thing
5:34that stands out to me with these texts
5:36is that Bishop Bardin has said time and
5:38time again, these desert fathers,
5:40they're relatable and they're just like
5:41us.
5:47Exodus 90 begins 90 days before Easter,
5:50a season of preparation through prayer
5:52and the example of the desert fathers.
5:55In 2026, that start date was January the
5:585th, leading to Easter Sunday, April the
6:015th.
6:12>> [music]
6:12>> In a few moments, we'll take a closer
6:14look at what the year 2026 has in store.
6:27[music]
6:41The holy door has closed, but the door
6:43of the first full year of Pope Leo I
6:4614th's pontificate is just beginning to
6:48open. What will it look like? What are
6:51the main goals and challenges facing the
6:53Pope in the year ahead?
7:03>> [music]
7:07>> He wasted no time. A day after the
7:09Jubilee of Hope ended, he convened an
7:11extraordinary consistry in Rome,
7:13gathering cardinals from around the
7:15world. A bold move not seen since 2014.
7:20One of the things that he listened to
7:21them say was they wanted to come to Rome
7:23more often. They felt that uh under Pope
7:26Francis they had not [music] been
7:27brought to Rome on a regular basis. So
7:29they didn't know each other. Pope Leo
7:31then was fulfilling a promise. The
7:34request from the college of cardinals
7:36during the ramp up to the conclave and
7:38then afterward.
7:40The two-day meeting in the Vatican was
7:42the first phase of the consistry which
7:44will conclude at the end of June around
7:47the feast of Saints Peter and Paul with
7:49another two days of debate. Pope [music]
7:51Leo then intends to repeat this
7:53gathering every year as a 3 to 4-day
7:56encounter.
7:59>> So he's establishing then or restoring
8:01in some ways one of the key traditions
8:03and functions of the college of
8:05cardinals which is to serve as a key
8:07advisor to the pope.
8:11[music]
8:12The consistry tells us a great deal
8:14about Leo's vision for his pontificate
8:17and for the church. He wants
8:18consultation. He wants the princes of
8:21the church, the most important church
8:23leaders to come to Rome regularly so
8:26that he can listen to them and speak
8:28with them before making decisions
8:33and to keep the focus on cidality and
8:36evangelization with liturgy and curia
8:39reform left for later.
8:44We are a very diverse group enriched by
8:46a wide range of backgrounds, cultures,
8:48and ecclesial and social traditions. We
8:51bring with us different educational and
8:53academic paths, pastoral experiences,
8:57and of course, distinct personalities
9:00and personal traits. Above all, we are
9:03called to get to know one another and to
9:05engage in dialogue so that we may work
9:07together in the service of the church.
9:15Fresh off the consistry, Leo I 14th
9:18moved straight into diplomacy.
9:24On January the 9th, Pope Leo addressed
9:26the Vatican Diplomatic Corps
9:28representing nearly 200 nations. [music]
9:30He spoke about global tensions, wars,
9:33and the pursuit of peace. Marking a
9:35significant moment for Vatican diplomacy
9:38at a time when the world is being shaken
9:40by so many bloody conflicts a key role
9:43in
9:44>> the pope spoke about the rule of law as
9:45the foundation of working together on
9:48this planet. Huh? He spoke about the
9:50city of God and the earthly city in the
9:52in line with the teaching of Augustine.
9:55Uh and he said, well, let's let's not be
9:58uh too comfortable. I take this now in
10:00my own word and think well we can strive
10:02to our own good here on this planet.
10:05>> Leo's first address to the diplomatic
10:07corps sketched how he wants to meet the
10:09world a defense of the rule of law and
10:12international humanitarian law with
10:14human dignity not strategic interest as
10:17the non-negotiable starting point framed
10:20through St. Augustine's warning about
10:22false peace built on domination.
10:26That makes peace building a central
10:28theme of the year ahead. He singled out
10:30the war in Ukraine, calling for an
10:32immediate ceasefire and dialogue
10:35motivated by a sincere search for a path
10:37to peace.
10:39I renew my appeal to respect the will of
10:41the Venezuelan people to safeguard the
10:44human and civil rights of all, ensuring
10:47a future of stability and concord.
10:51To this end, inspiration may be drawn
10:53from the example of two of its children
10:55who I had the joy of canonizing last
10:58October. Jose Gregorio Ernnandez and
11:02Sister Carmen Reendz.
11:05May their witness inspire the building
11:07of a society founded on justice, truth,
11:12freedom, and fraternity.
11:14Another
11:16important aspect of this year's program
11:18will undoubtedly be apostolic journeys
11:20around the world. After Pope Leo's first
11:23apostolic trip to Turkey and Lebanon in
11:25November and December of 2025, he's also
11:28scheduled to visit [music] Spain in the
11:30coming months.
11:32At the Bio wants to go to the Canary
11:34Islands, which is one of those entry
11:36points for migrants that many die trying
11:39to get there. Then he'll have stops
11:42where in Spain he'll go to Barcelona
11:45which means a stop at Sigra Familia
11:47which means he'll be in some ways
11:48following in the footsteps of Pope
11:50Benedict the 16th who was there in 2011.
11:53The Pope plans to visit several African
11:55countries too with an essential stop in
11:58Algeria in the footsteps of St.
12:00Augustine as well as South America,
12:03possibly including Uruguay, Argentina,
12:06and Peru, his second homeland, where he
12:09served as a missionary for many years.
12:13With the solemn right celebrated on
12:16January the 10th in the Basilica of
12:18Santa Maria deAngeli in Aizi, the
12:20commemorative year marking the 800th
12:22anniversary of the death of St. Francis
12:24of Aizi has begun. For this occasion,
12:27Pope Leo I 14th has proclaimed a special
12:30Franciscan Jubilee year, which will
12:32conclude on January the 10th, 2027. It
12:35will be a year of grace in the footsteps
12:37of the poor man of Aizi, granting a
12:40plenary indulgence throughout the entire
12:42year 2026.
13:05>> [music]
13:07>> This is a place where humanity touched
13:09the deepest abyss of evil. More than 1
13:12million innocent lives were extinguished
13:14in silence.
13:17[music]
13:23>> [music]
13:24>> This is Awitz. And yet, even in the
13:26blackest darkness, the light did not go
13:29out. Countless martyrs bore witness to a
13:32love stronger than hatred. One of them
13:34was St. Maxmleon Kby, a Polish
13:37Franciscan priest. When a fellow
13:39prisoner, Francesc Gaishek, cried out
13:42for his wife and children, Kby stepped
13:45forward and offered his life in his
13:47place. And the meaning of that choice is
13:49found in the starvation bunker cell 18
13:52of block 11 known as the death block.
13:59>> The answer lies in the Avitz cell where
14:01he gave his life for someone. That is a
14:05stranger, someone he didn't even know.
14:08It's all there in my opinion like the
14:10sacrifice of Christ on the cross based
14:13on this mercy, this forgiveness, this
14:15love which is a foundation of all his
14:18actions.
14:22>> Hulby was left to starve after nearly 2
14:25weeks he was still alive. When the SS
14:27ordered the bunker cleared, they killed
14:29the remaining survivors with an
14:31injection of phenol on August the 14th,
14:341941.
14:37St. Maxmillian is personally very
14:39important to me. We share the same
14:41nationality. We wear the same habit. But
14:44personally, he is a man who offered the
14:47gift of his life. And he is a model for
14:50me to follow.
14:52I will probably never be in a situation
14:54like his where giving the gift of life
14:57becomes something absolute and total.
15:00But I am learning from him to offer the
15:02small amounts of my own life to those
15:04who need them.
15:06>> Even in the death camp in Awitz, he
15:08[music] continued to comfort fellow
15:09prisoners, celebrate mass, and pray
15:12until the very end of his life.
15:16>> Now we might think it is difficult to
15:18face that death. Yet in the moment of
15:20trial, as in the moment of the
15:22eucharistic sacrifice, [music]
15:24we become a person in whom Christ acts.
15:27In fact, he always said, "Do not worry.
15:31Let the spirit speak through you."
15:36>> Maxmillian Colby, [music] born in 1894,
15:39entered the Franciscan Seminary in
15:41Poland at the age of 12. In 1911, he
15:44came to Rome to continue his studies at
15:47the Pontipical Gregorian University
15:49[music] and in the convent of the
15:50Friars's Minor Conventual. Walking
15:53through the eternal city, we find
15:54countless traces of his life, formation,
15:56[music]
15:57and vocation.
15:59>> Sanodoro.
16:00>> In San Theodoro, we had our monastery
16:03where he studied from 1912 to 1919. He
16:06spent 7 years in Rome. That was kind of
16:09a hidden time
16:11when his spirituality was truly taking
16:13shape. I like returning there, looking
16:16through the window that he looked
16:18through. And through that very window,
16:20he actually saw his calling to bring
16:23people back to God to pray for those who
16:26are far from God and from the church.
16:29Maxmillian KBY actively participated in
16:32the life of the Franciscan community as
16:34well as in prayer and study circles in
16:36Rome. [music] He frequently visited the
16:38general cury of the Franciscans where
16:40his beautiful sculpture can still be
16:42admired today. [music] It was here in
16:44the eternal city that he was ordained a
16:46priest in 1918.
16:53I love walking around Rome, discovering
16:55places that in some way bear the mark of
16:57St. Maximillion.
16:59These are the places known to everyone.
17:01I think of the place where he was
17:03ordained at St. Andrea de la Val. It's a
17:06beautiful church. Then near Piaza Neona,
17:09there is the church of Saint Andrea de
17:11la frat where he celebrated his first
17:13mass.
17:16During his years in Rome, Kby developed
17:18a strong devotion to the immaculate
17:20Virgin Mary, planting the seeds for what
17:22would later become the missionary work
17:24of Neapakalanov.
17:26Founded by him and one of the largest
17:29monasteries in the world, he used the
17:31press and radio to spread the gospel,
17:34promote peace, and foster devotion to
17:36the Virgin Mary.
17:41>> We must share with both the faithful and
17:43the nonfaithful the treasure of our
17:45faith. And he began to work using all
17:47the technology of his time to share it.
17:50Better to say to make it bear fruit for
17:54the world. And today with the technology
17:57that we have, we can use it for evil.
18:00Destroying nations, waging wars and so
18:02on. Or we can do as Coobe did using it
18:06for our good.
18:11Maximleian Colby was canonized in 1982
18:14by Pope St. John Paul II and is
18:17remembered as a martyr of charity, a
18:19powerful symbol of self-giving love and
18:22a witness of faith even in the darkest
18:24of times.
18:39After the break, join us in Pompei where
18:42couples wedding dress dreams come to
18:44life.
19:08At the pontipical shrine of the blessed
19:10virgin of the rosary of Pompei lies a
19:13special room that few people know of.
19:18[music]
19:19Through
19:21the basilica and up the stairs, Sister
19:23Rosalia and the organization Friends of
19:26Mary happily work a way for brides to
19:28be, mending, adjusting, and fixing
19:31donated wedding dresses for the women
19:33who can't afford them or want to support
19:36a more virtuous path down the aisle.
19:41Here
19:45the dresses are donated to the donation
19:47room because it's the place where
19:48everyone can come and at the same time
19:51it's always open because there are
19:52different people who run the donation
19:54room. [music]
19:57>> Hundreds of dresses arrive here and all
20:00one has to do is give a contribution or
20:02if a bride to be can't afford it, it
20:05will be totally free of charge.
20:11From modern, classic, bohemian, a room
20:14full of white dresses where brides can
20:17come and envision themselves as brides.
20:29come here. And what do we do here? We
20:31select them. We clean them up and we put
20:33them in order. If something doesn't
20:35work, we take it away. [music]
20:40>> Then there are people who can't afford
20:42to spend much also because instead of
20:44spending their money on a single day,
20:46they choose to spend it on some other
20:48charitable work. Sometimes they think
20:50about making a donation to the parish or
20:52something else. And then there are those
20:54who can't afford it at all.
21:01There are those who give a little
21:02contribution, but they are then able to
21:04dress up nicely with wonderful clothes,
21:06which we will then show you. [music]
21:12>> But what Sister Rosalia says is the most
21:15fulfilling part of all is seeing the
21:17women try on the dress that [music] will
21:19accompany them on their big day. EWTN
21:21Vatican correspondent Valentina Donato
21:24was invited inside the atelier to meet
21:27with Felicia, a bride to be.
21:29>> Felicia, thank you so much for sharing
21:31this incredible moment. You're
21:33beautiful. How do you feel?
21:38>> I feel emotional, indescribable emotion
21:41in this place with these people that are
21:43so warm and kind. It's hard to find such
21:46people nowadays. I must be honest, but I
21:49immediately feel this dress to be mine.
21:58My heart brought me to this initiative.
22:02Today, we shouldn't spend a lot on these
22:04things. The important thing is to do
22:06things with our heart and I was called
22:08to find my dress here and to give back.
22:10[music]
22:12And in our world, there is such a need
22:14for this.
22:17And for Felicia, the wedding dress is
22:19much more than just a beautiful dress.
22:22[music] It represents the start of a new
22:24phase in the life of a Catholic in the
22:26formation of the marital bond.
22:30>> The wedding dress is what I wear when
22:32meeting God, what I wear when meeting my
22:34husband, what I wear before starting a
22:36family.
22:38[music]
22:40And in the halls of the shrine, the
22:42friends of Mary, which was founded by
22:44Sister Rosalia, 20 volunteers meet once
22:47a week and men the dresses and create
22:49objects that they sell. [music]
22:59but is also a lot of fun.
23:04>> Especially for me this year, I went
23:06through a difficult period, but they
23:08helped me get back on my feet.
23:15>> I was ill and couldn't come here for a
23:17long time. Then, little by little, the
23:20words of Sister Rosalia and the others,
23:22Jovanina, you have to get back on your
23:24feet, helped me start to feel better.
23:40>> [music]

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