On the morning of 14 September 2026, Pope Leo XIV opened the first chapter of the exhibition series entitled Catastrophe and Wonder (Catastrofe e meraviglia), the exhibition AQVA, at the Vatican Apostolic Library in Rome. His visit was at once a scholarly and cultural event, a pastoral encounter, and a powerful expression of how the Church’s historical memory, preserved through books, manuscripts, and material heritage, continues to create a living connection between the past and the present. The Fraknói Research Group was represented at the event by its Vatican archival research resident, CPH staff member Katalin Nagy.
Staff members of the Vatican Apostolic Library and the Vatican Apostolic Archives, which has traditionally formed an institutional unity with the Library, personally welcomed the Holy Father, including the Prefect of the Archives, Rocco Ronzani OSA. Pope Leo’s presence gave particular emphasis to the cultural mission that the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana has fulfilled for centuries: the Library is not merely a repository of rare manuscripts, codices, and early printed books, but also an institution where different periods, languages, religious traditions, and scholarly approaches come together.
During his visit, Pope Leo XIV viewed the exhibition’s featured objects and met with the specialists involved in selecting, restoring, cataloguing, and researching the materials on display. In his opening address, the Pope also mentioned that his mother had been a librarian, making the world of libraries particularly close to his heart. At the end of the visit, those present surprised the Holy Father with a birthday cake to mark his 71st birthday.
Images: Vatican News, Katalin Nagy (the BAV building – Cortile del Belvedere – the BAV reading room)
