L'Osservatore Romano facts for kids

L'Osservatore Romano is the official newspaper of the Holy See, which is the government of the Catholic Church. It was first published in 1861. Think of it as the Vatican's main newspaper, sharing news and information about the Pope and the Church.

This newspaper is not used for official rules or laws from the Holy See. Those important documents appear in a different publication called Acta Apostolicae Sedis. L'Osservatore Romano is published every day in Italian. It also has weekly or monthly editions available in many other languages, so people around the world can read it.

The Newspaper's History

L'Osservatore Romano started a long time ago, in 1861. It began as a private newspaper. Over time, it became very important to the Holy See.

Becoming the Official Voice

In 1885, during the time of Pope Leo XIII, the Holy See bought L'Osservatore Romano. This made it the official newspaper. Since then, it has been the main way the Vatican shares its views and news with the world.

What it Publishes

The newspaper often publishes important messages from the Pope, like encyclicals. An encyclical is a letter from the Pope about important Church teachings. For example, in 1891, L'Osservatore Romano published Pope Leo XIII's famous encyclical called Rerum Novarum. This document talked about social issues and the rights of workers.

Images for kids

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  Pope Leo XIII. Under his leadership, the Holy See bought L'Osservatore Romano in 1885.

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  Giornale di Roma (27 November 1852). This was another newspaper from that time.

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  The front page of L'Osservatore Romano from May 15, 1891. It shows the encyclical Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII.

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  You can find more information about L'Osservatore Romano for kids in Spanish.