Our Scans · Holy See · Weekly Summary

• The Vatican declares sex-change operations and surrogacy grave threats to human dignity, putting them on par with abortion and euthanasia as practices that violate God's plan for human life. Burnaby Now
• Pope Francis has unveiled plans for a solar plant that will see the Vatican City generating all its electricity from renewable sources. Engineering and Technology Magazine
• Sex change operations and surrogacy are grave threats to human dignity, the Vatican has declared in a new document that sets out its position on a number of social issues. Sky News
• The Vatican has released a new document on human dignity in which it says surrogacy, gender theory and abortion are among the grave threats to the human condition. MPR News
• While the Vatican emphasised that LGBTQ + parents who use surrogacy will still be able to have their children baptised, a ban on surrogacy would disproportionately affect same-sex couples who rely on surrogacy to have biological children. GCN
• VATICAN CITY - A new Catholic program using artificial intelligence, Magisterium AI, is promising to revolutionize academic research in Catholic education and holds the potential to disrupt long-held doctrines and beliefs. America Magazine
• The institution of a Vatican Cyber Authority (VCA) could create adequate coordination mechanisms relative to cybersecurity issues and could also permit to reinforce the Catholic Church as an interlocutor in the dialogue with the external world. Transport Times
• By establishing another level of active coordination mechanism with respect to cybersecurity issues, the Vatican could benefit the Church Church in its multilevel dialogue with the world from every point of view: spiritual, ecclesial, diplomatic-institutional, and so on. Transport Times
• Germany's Catholic Church has ended a landmark renewal project by agreeing on a slew of reforms including blessing same-sex marriages and allowing female deacons, at the risk of angering the Vatican. News18
• Costa Rica counts on the US for protection, Liechtenstein hopes that Switzerland will come to its aid, and the Vatican is a special case altogether. swissinfo.ch
• While energy remains a hot topic-much like geopolitics in the wake of the war in Ukraine - the coming year will see a return to traditional themes, such as the holy grail of a cheaper, cleaner and more powerful battery. OpenMind
• The Biden administration has a goal of conserving 30% of US land and water by 2030, even though the US and the Vatican are the only countries that have not formally joined the UN Convention on Biodiversity. The Verge
• Timorese citizens will need an ETIAS to visit the following European microstates with open borders: Monaco (via France), San Marino (via Italy) and Vatican City (via Italy). SchengenVisaInfo.com
• The notion that the Vatican might have even more deeply buried sex-related secrets not only accorded with people's emerging suspicions, but also resonated with the notion that priestly celibacy concealed ritualized eroticism. American Affairs Journal
• A DEEP STATE Military COUP is currently taking place in Iran as the Vatican Deep State wants control of Iran and will try to stop Iran from entering the BRICS system. Operation Disclosure Official
• Liechtenstein or The Vatican will probably not be big Energy Vault clients, but there is plenty of open ground in the Americas, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia for EVx facilities to be a good solution. Forbes
• The brief hiatus in China's diplomatic pressure campaign will be over, too, as Beijing moves forward with its standing plan to push additional countries, such as the Vatican, to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Foreign Affairs Magazine
• Acting in line with the universal values of peace, freedom, democracy and respect for human rights, Taiwan will continue to be an indispensable partner to the Holy See and other countries in their efforts to promote love, charity and world peace. Government Portal of Republic of China, Taiwan
• The Vatican has been loathe to criticize Russia over its Ukraine policies for fear of alienating the Russian Orthodox Church. ABC News
• Taiwan can now only count on the formal support of 13 countries plus the Vatican, a number that could dwindle further if Honduran President-elect Xiomara Castro fulfills a campaign pledge to switch allegiances to Beijing. Foreign Policy
• Cypriot Church leaders are keen to strengthen ties with the Holy See since minority Christian communities in nearby countries fear that their faith is under attack amid armed conflicts. The Irish News

Last updated: 14 June 2025