Vatican to publish new magazine with Pope replying readers’ questions

The Vatican has announced initiatives undertaken by St. Peter’s Basilica in light of the 2025 Jubilee Year, including a new magazine called “Piazza San Pietro.”  

It will be published in Italian, English and Spanish. 

A regular feature of the new monthly will be a “Letters to the Editor” column, in which Pope Francis will respond to readers’ letters. 

The first issue of the new magazine has 86 pages, and in the copy distributed to the press, Pope Francis responds to a grandmother who complains that one of her grandchildren has not been baptised by his parents. 

“Baptising a child means trusting in the Lord, in the Holy Spirit, but Baptism cannot be imposed on parents who do not want it for their children,’ writes the Pope, who recommends carrying on the dialogue “with hope, with meekness and with charity.” 

In a speech introducing the periodical, the archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti called its publication “a courageous choice, which the creativity and energy of Father Enzo [Fortunato – communications director for St. Peter’s Basilica] pushed us to do…” 

Fortunato pointed out Pope Francis’ invitation to journalists to “wear out the soles of your shoes,” calling it a “strong reminder of traditional journalism, for deeper immersion in reality, for direct contact with places, but most of all with people.” 

“This is our idea of communication, this is our strategy, the heart of the communication plan,” he said, speaking about St. Peter’s Basilica.

The monthly subscription for “Piazza San Pietro” costs €30 and €4 for a single copy. Father Fortunato stated that “those who cannot afford it will receive it for free.” 

Additionally, it has been announced that there will also be a livestream of the tomb of St. Peter in the Vatican grottoes and of the basilica’s Holy Door, to allow those who cannot make the trip to Rome to see the sites during the Jubilee.  

Pope Francis is to inaugurate the live webcam of the tomb of the apostle and first pope on 2 December.  

St Peter’s Basilica also plans to use social networks to “share the love for this sacred place, and offer useful information in view of the upcoming Jubilee.” 

The 2025 Jubilee in the Catholic Church will be celebrated from 24 December 2024 to 6 January 2026. It is a once-every-quarter-century event that is expected to attract 32 million pilgrims to Rome.

Additional sources • Repubblica