The towering walls of Vatican City weren’t just for show—they were built for survival. In the 9th century, after repeated Saracen raids, Pope Leo IV fortified St. Peter’s Basilica and the surrounding Christian community. What started as protection became the boundary of the smallest—and one of the most powerful—independent city-states in the world. Discover the untold secrets of the Vatican: from hidden archives to masterpieces of art and architecture. Using 3D and CGI, archeologists, restorers,

Pope Leo XIV attends a private meeting with the heads of Churches and Christian Communities at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor (St.) Ephrem. | Vatican News

On the second day of his Apostolic Journey to Türkiye, Pope Leo XIV spent time with the Catholic community of Istanbul, visited the elderly at a Church-run care home, and prayed for Christian unity at the site of the Council of Nicaea. | Vatican News