Source: Swiss Kanton Nidwalden News in German
27. Juli 2026
Die Brandgefahr in den Kantonen Obwalden und Nidwalden bleibt aufgrund der anhaltenden Trockenheit gross. Das seit dem 10. Juli geltende Feuerverbot im Wald und in Waldesnähe bleibt deshalb bis auf Weiteres in Kraft. Im Hinblick auf den Nationalfeiertag weist das Feuerwehrinspektorat Ob- und Nidwalden darauf hin, dass in beiden Kantonen keine Feuerwerkskörper abgebrannt und keine 1.-August- oder Höhenfeuer entzündet werden dürfen.
Die Niederschläge der vergangenen Wochen haben nicht ausgereicht, um die Trockenheit in den Wäldern und auf den Wiesen nachhaltig zu entschärfen. Die Waldbrandgefahr wird in beiden Kantonen weiterhin als gross eingestuft (Warnstufe 4 von 5). Kurze oder lokale Regenschauer vermögen die Situation nicht wesentlich zu verbessern. Dafür wären flächendeckende und über längere Zeit anhaltende Niederschläge erforderlich.
Daher ist es im Wald und in Waldesnähe bis zu einem Abstand von 50 Metern weiterhin verboten, Feuer zu entfachen. Das Verbot gilt auch für Feuerstellen und Feuerschalen sowie für Einweggrills. Ebenfalls untersagt sind das Wegwerfen von Streichhölzern und Raucherwaren sowie das Steigenlassen von Heissluftballons oder Himmelslaternen, die durch offenes Feuer angetrieben werden.
Feuerwerk und Höhenfeuer verbotenUnabhängig vom Abstand zum Wald dürfen in Obwalden und Nidwalden im Hinblick auf den Nationalfeiertag keine Feuerwerkskörper abgebrannt und keine 1.-August- oder Höhenfeuer entzündet werden. Davon ausgenommen sind einzig polizeilich bewilligte Feuerwerke auf Seen, sofern ein Abstand von mindestens 200 Metern zum Ufer eingehalten wird. Erlaubt bleibt das Grillieren mit Gas- und Elektrogrills. Sofern der Mindestabstand von 50 Metern zum Wald eingehalten wird, dürfen auch Holzkohlegrills, Cheminées oder Feuerschalen in Gärten und auf Balkonen verwendet werden.
Das Feuerwehrinspektorat Ob- und Nidwalden und die zuständigen kantonalen Ämter rufen die Bevölkerung dazu auf, die Verbote konsequent einzuhalten und im Umgang mit möglichen Zündquellen besondere Vorsicht walten zu lassen.
Die Verbote gelten bis auf Widerruf. Zuwiderhandlungen werden polizeilich geahndet.
Die Lage wird laufend beurteilt. Eine Aufhebung ist erst möglich, wenn sich die Waldbrandgefahr nach ausreichenden Niederschlägen nachhaltig entspannt hat.
Weitere Informationen zur aktuellen Gefahrenlage sind unter www.naturgefahren.chExterner Link wird in einem neuen Fenster geöffnet. und www.waldbrandgefahr.chExterner Link wird in einem neuen Fenster geöffnet. verfügbar.
Want to be a voice for Girls Go STEM in your country?
Since 2020, Girls Go STEM has equipped more than 78 000 girls aged 14 to 19 across Europe with digital, green and entrepreneurial skills through a free online learning platform available in 27 languages. The Student Ambassadors Programme invites girls who have completed the learning programme to represent the initiative in their country for a one year mandate.
What ambassadors will do
Represent Girls Go STEM at events organised by the European Commission, the EIT Community and partner organisations
Receive monthly mentoring from professionals in STEM and entrepreneurship
Take part in exclusive leadership and communication workshops
Help promote the annual Girls Go STEM Student Challenge and other opportunities
Be featured in official Girls Go STEM and EIT Community communications
Who can apply
Girls aged 14 to 19, based in Europe
Who have completed the Girls Go STEM learning programme
Ready to make their voice heard and inspire other girls
As a Girls Go STEM Ambassador, you will spend a year collaborating closely with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Community, representing the programme at in-person and online events and helping more girls across Europe discover it.
Alongside these opportunities, you will strengthen your leadership and communication skills through various activities and tailored mentorship, contributing to both your personal and professional growth.
During their mandate, ambassadors are expected to dedicate around 4 hours per month to their role and attend one or two in-person events or workshops in a European country.
Discover how you can make an impact, connect with fellow educators, and grow professionally!
Since 2020, Girls Go STEM has equipped more than 78 000 girls aged 14 to 19 across Europe with digital, green and entrepreneurial skills through a free online learning platform available in 27 languages. The Teacher Ambassadors Programme is a year long opportunity for secondary and iVET school teachers to work closely with the EIT Community.
What ambassadors will do
Represent Girls Go STEM at events across Europe, with travel costs fully covered
Become a certified Girls Go STEM trainer
Help build and support national networks of Girls Go STEM teachers
Contribute feedback and ideas that help shape the programme
Who can apply
Secondary or iVET school teachers
Already using the Circular Learning Space
Confident communicating in English and supported by their school to take part
The Teacher Ambassadors Programme is a unique, year-long opportunity for passionate teachers to collaborate closely with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Community and play a key role in advancing education across Europe.
In particular, we are calling all educators who have already used the Circular Learning Space, the platform hosting the courses of the Girls Go STEM programme, to become Teacher Ambassadors and help spread the word about it.
Ambassadors will represent Girls Go STEM at events, help foster a vibrant teacher community, contribute to peer training, and improve the initiative through their fresh ideas. They will also get the chance to enhance their leadership and teaching skills with tailored professional development workshops.
During their mandate, ambassadors are expected to dedicate around 4 hours per month to their role and attend at least one in-person event in a European country with travel expenses fully covered by Girls Go STEM.
The annual growth rate of the broad monetary aggregate M3 increased to 3.3% in June 2026 from 3.0% in May, averaging 3.0% in the three months up to June. The components of M3 showed the following developments. The annual growth rate of the narrower aggregate M1, which comprises currency in circulation and overnight deposits, decreased to 3.4% in June from 3.7% in May. The annual growth rate of short-term deposits other than overnight deposits (M2-M1) increased to 2.8% in June from 1.4% in May. The annual growth rate of marketable instruments (M3-M2) increased to 4.5% in June from 3.2% in May.
Looking at the components’ contributions to the annual growth rate of M3, the narrower aggregate M1 contributed 2.2 percentage points (down from 2.4 percentage points in May), short-term deposits other than overnight deposits (M2-M1) contributed 0.8 percentage points (up from 0.4 percentage points) and marketable instruments (M3-M2) contributed 0.3 percentage points (up from 0.2 percentage points).
Among the holding sectors of deposits in M3, the annual growth rate of deposits placed by households decreased to 2.6% in June from 2.8% in May, while the annual growth rate of deposits placed by non-financial corporations increased to 5.3% in June from 4.2% in May. Finally, the annual growth rate of deposits placed by investment funds other than money market funds increased to 1.6% in June from ‑0.6% in May.
Counterparts of the broad monetary aggregate M3
The annual growth rate of M3 in June 2026, as a reflection of changes in the items on the monetary financial institution (MFI) consolidated balance sheet other than M3 (counterparts of M3), can be broken down as follows: claims on the private sector contributed 3.1 percentage points (as in the previous month), net external assets contributed 2.2 percentage points (up from 1.9 percentage points), claims on general government contributed 0.1 percentage points (up from 0.0 percentage points), longer-term liabilities contributed -1.6 percentage points (down from -1.4 percentage points), and the remaining counterparts of M3 contributed -0.5 percentage points (up from -0.6 percentage points).
Chart 2
Contribution of the M3 counterparts to the annual growth rate of M3
The annual growth rate of total claims on euro area residents stood at 2.4% in June 2026, unchanged from the previous month. The annual growth rate of claims on general government increased to 0.3% in June from 0.1% in May, while the annual growth rate of claims on the private sector stood at 3.3% in June, unchanged from the previous month.
The annual growth rate of adjusted loans to the private sector (i.e. adjusted for loan transfers and notional cash pooling) stood at 3.9% in June, unchanged from the previous month. Within the non-financial private sector, the annual growth rate of adjusted loans to households stood at 3.0% in June, and the annual growth rate of adjusted loans to non-financial corporations stood at 4.0% in June, both unchanged from the previous month.
Data in this press release are adjusted for seasonal and end-of-month calendar effects, unless stated otherwise.
“Private sector” refers to euro area non-MFIs excluding general government.
Hyperlinks lead to data that may change with subsequent releases as a result of revisions. Figures shown in annex tables are a snapshot of the data as at the time of the current release.
With around 3 000 hours of sunshine a year, Malta is ideally placed to harness the sun’s energy. But its scorching summers, salty sea air and occasional Saharan dust storms also make it one of Europe’s toughest environments for solar panels.
For Dr Brian Azzopardi, a renewable energy researcher from Malta, those challenging conditions present a unique opportunity. If solar panels can withstand the island’s climate, they should perform well almost anywhere in Europe.
Azzopardi is the chair of the Foundation for Innovation and Research – Malta, an organisation he helped establish to bridge the gap between academic research and industry.
For the past three years, he has been leading an EU-funded research initiative called PROMISE that looked at new ways to improve the monitoring, maintenance and reliability of photovoltaic (PV) systems in Malta, with potential lessons for the rest of Europe.
Malta’s solar expansion
Over the past decade, government grants and community schemes have helped solar power spread rapidly across the island, which is home to around 580 000 residents: a number that swells each summer with tourists.
“Since around 2010, we’ve gone from almost zero solar power uptake to around 20–22%,” said Azzopardi.
As solar power has expanded, however, a new challenge has emerged. Faults in PV systems often go unnoticed until electricity production has already fallen. By that point, the damage to the panels may already be significant.
To catch problems earlier, the researchers developed digital twins: digital replicas of real solar installations that allow different scenarios to be tested and potential faults to be identified before they affect the panels.
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These systems are being tested in very harsh conditions in Malta. If they survive here, they should survive anywhere in Europe.
They also developed AI tools that scan incoming data around the clock, flagging faults automatically rather than waiting for someone to notice a fall in performance.
The research also focused on developing the next generation of solar specialists. Malta’s rapidly growing solar sector still lacks enough technicians and researchers with the expertise needed to keep systems operating efficiently.
By training people locally and sharing what they learn internationally, the team hopes Malta’s experience can benefit the rest of Europe.
To achieve this, the researchers combined high-tech monitoring across 10 Living Labs –real-world test sites – with new approaches to PV reliability, education and training, including international summer schools that attract students from around the world.
Maintenance matters
Solar uptake, Azzopardi warned, is only half the story. “You see solar panels on rooftops, but whether they are working properly is still a question mark. Maintenance matters too.”
Most solar systems in Malta are small and privately owned, so their owners cannot rely on large maintenance contracts or sophisticated monitoring systems. Many assumed that once the panels were installed, little further attention would be needed.
“It’s true there are few moving parts, but maintenance is still needed. Bird droppings and environmental conditions such as shade from new buildings or damage to the panels can all affect performance,” he said.
The researchers installed commercially available sensors to measure electricity production, sunlight, wind and temperature.
The data fed into monitoring software capable of predicting when maintenance was likely to be needed, allowing repairs to be planned before faults caused significant losses in performance. Along the way, the team built valuable expertise that can now be applied in future research.
“Technically speaking, these systems are being tested in very harsh conditions in Malta,” said Azzopardi. “If they survive here, they should survive anywhere in Europe.”
Sharpening skills
The Living Labs became even more valuable once their data started feeding directly into the training schools, giving students hands-on experience with real solar installations.
Participants visited the sites and worked alongside researchers using advanced diagnostic techniques such as electroluminescence testing, where electricity is fed back into a solar panel, causing the cells to emit faint infrared light invisible to the human eye.
Specialised cameras then reveal tiny cracks and hidden defects that would otherwise remain undetected.
Students also developed practical inspection skills, learning how to assess panels visually and document faults using photographs and structured inspection checklists, a straightforward process that can still identify a surprising number of problems.
Learning by playing
Teaching these diverse skills effectively, however, is no simple task, said Melodie de l’Epine, who leads research and innovation activities at the Becquerel Institute in France – a specialist PV research and consulting centre and a key member of the PROMISE team.
“Operations and maintenance for photovoltaics is a huge subject,” she said. To keep such a mixed group of trainees engaged, the team turned to games and role play.
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We need a strong, well-trained workforce that knows how to carry out maintenance and ensure longer system lifetimes.
“In the real world, operations and maintenance isn’t something you do in isolation. You’re receiving data, analysing problems, discussing budgets with management, and coordinating with maintenance teams – so I thought, let’s make them play the role,” de l’Epine said.
The researchers developed three board games, matching exercises and simulation challenges, including a Monopoly-style game in which students take on the role of a technician troubleshooting a solar installation. Each activity focuses on different skills, from diagnosing faults to managing maintenance budgets.
For younger audiences, they also created Dance of the Photon, a live performance in which dancers demonstrate how sunlight is converted into electricity inside a solar cell, bringing an invisible process vividly to life.
The lessons could prove valuable far beyond Malta. Small-scale installations account for around half of Europe’s total PV capacity, and many face exactly the same maintenance challenges.
Training the fixers
Developing smarter technology is only part of the challenge. Ensuring there are enough people with the skills to install, monitor and maintain solar systems will be just as important if Europe is to make the most of its growing investment in renewable energy.
“We need a strong, well-trained workforce that knows how to carry out maintenance and ensure longer system lifetimes,” said de l’Epine. “This requires a lot of training, but also for individual owners to acknowledge that maintenance is something they need to invest in.”
The research has shown that improving solar power is about much more than installing new panels. For Malta, one of Europe’s sunniest countries, harsh conditions have become an unexpected advantage.
By testing technologies in some of Europe’s most demanding environments, the researchers are helping to develop solutions that could keep solar panels performing reliably across the continent for years to come.
Research in this article was funded by the EU’s Horizon Programme. The views of the interviewees don’t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.
Democracy is under threat in the EU, but the evidence needed to respond effectively is lacking. “Despite a lot of empirical research, clear findings that can guide policymakers remain limited,” says project coordinator Michael Kaeding, professor of European Integration and European Policy at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany.
To accurately measure the shape and scale of the legitimacy crisis facing European politics, ActEU created a unique approach to capture the drivers of trust and mistrust in a complex, multilayered political environment.
“We found that while trust actually remains fairly stable overall, there are short-term fluctuations, especially driven by factors such as economic security, immigration and perceptions of fairness,” explains the project’s scientific lead Daniela Braun, professor of Political Science at Saarland University in Germany.
The hierarchy of trust
The ActEU team contend that trust between citizens and state institutions is not an output of democratic systems, but a precondition of them.
“Without the trust of a critical mass of people – where citizens feel heard, represented and able to participate in political life – democratic governments lose legitimacy. This is even more precarious in times of crisis,” remarks researcher Alex Hartland, also at Saarland University.
Existing studies typically examined ideas around political legitimacy through the lens of attitudes or behaviours. ActEU integrated both and added a third dimension, that of representation.
“These categories are interlinked, evolving and influencing one another depending on context. For example, strong representation can lead to increased participation and changing attitudes,” adds Zoe Lefkofridi, an expert in political representation at the University of Salzburg in Austria.
To explore this dynamic, the researchers mapped declining trust in the EU’s multilevel governance system using public opinion surveys, focus groups and data scraped from online sources.
While Europeans’ political trust in and perceptions of legitimacy are not declining in general, this depends on the level of governance in question.
“We found a hierarchy of trust. Citizens trust most those politics closest to daily life – local and regional. Trust is lower at the national level, and varies for the EU level,” says Braun.
However, this pattern is not consistent across all countries. Trust in higher-level institutions was found to have steadily decreased since the early 2000s in many countries, albeit with some partial and full recoveries.
Croatia, Denmark, Finland and Sweden showed a clear linear increase in trust over time, while citizens in Bulgaria, Cyprus, France and Poland are losing faith in politics.
“EU policymakers must remember that citizens live in a multilevel system. When rebuilding trust and legitimacy, it would be unwise to only focus initiatives on the supranational level,” notes political scientist Ann-Kathrin Reinl, a member of ActEU’s advisory board. “If citizens lose trust in local and regional politics, this can escalate.”
While electoral turnout was found to be declining overall, any increases were associated with extremes of trust and distrust, evidenced by increased vote share for radical right parties, with notable exceptions in central and eastern Europe.
Reinvigorating democracy
To boost political engagement and skills among young European citizens, ActEU set up 17 Youth Democracy Labs with over 300 school and university students, resulting in two toolkits to support a more cohesive, inclusive and resilient society.
“One is targeted at the educational sector, and uses engaging features such as videos, podcasts, infographics and cartoons to translate ActEU’s findings without simplifying the issues,” adds Alex Hoppe, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Duisburg-Essen. “The other is aimed at policymakers, and hosts resources to help expert audiences rebuild public trust, guided by concise evidence-based recommendations.”
Both toolkits continue to be used in the team’s teaching and outreach activities, garnering positive feedback.
The project’s wide-ranging data and analysis can be explored in a recently published book, ‘Activating European Citizens’ Trust in Times of Crisis and Polarization: Towards a New Era of Representative Democracy’.
With journal publications under review or in progress, ActEU’s researchers continue to work on quantifying political and societal polarisation, as part of Saarland University’s SOUNDS project co-led by Braun.
by Cosimo GrazianiWashington (Fides News Agency) – The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that aims to halt US aid to Nigeria in the next fiscal year, justifying this measure as a response to anti-Christian violence in the African country.The bill was approved in mid-July with a majority of 217 votes in favor and 209 against. The proposal calls for foreign governments and “bad actors to be held accountable for the persecution of people of faith” and proposes reducing assistance to Nigeria “until effective action is taken to protect Christian communities suffering from religious violence.”The proposal also lists the objectives of the measures it intends to introduce, namely, offering “support for religious freedom programs abroad and the protection of religious freedom for faith-based organizations engaged in cooperation.”The proposal to tie US financial aid to Nigeria to the situation of Christians in the country was spearheaded by two Republican congressmen: Representative Riley Moore of West Virginia and Representative Jeff Steube of Florida. Moore had long advocated cutting aid to Nigeria, arguing that such action is necessary to defend the country’s Christian population. In recent months, he had repeatedly claimed that Christians in Nigeria are facing genocide and accused the federal government of failing to take adequate action against Fulani extremists. He also proposed a bilateral security agreement between the United States and Nigeria aimed at protecting Christian communities.Moore initially proposed a 50% reduction in US assistance to Africa’s most populous nation, while Steube introduced an amendment calling for a complete suspension of aid to Abuja. The House ultimately approved the amendment. Following the vote, Steube announced the bill’s approval in a post on X: “American taxpayers should never bankroll governments that turn a blind eye while Christians are abducted, tortured and murdered”It should be noted that this is the first approval of a bill, and has not yet become law. For the 2027 federal budget to become legally binding, the bill must also be approved by the Senate and signed by President Donald Trump.In February, the current US administration released a report describing Nigeria as the most dangerous country in the world for Christians. Following that report, Washington designated Nigeria a “Country of particular concern,” a label rejected by the government in Abuja as well as by local and international organizations, which have stressed that violence in Nigeria affects Christians and members of other religions.In recent months, the United States and Nigeria have continued to strengthen security cooperation. The US has deployed military personnel to the country, describing the move as support for the fight against several terrorist groups. The collaboration prompted expressions of appreciation from President Trump, as reflected in a letter he sent to the Nigerian government in recent weeks.According to the authorities in Abuja, Trump also commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its efforts to address the problems “afflicting Christian communities.” Those statements appear to contrast with the House of Representatives vote, though they are unlikely to prevent the proposal’s final approval.(Fides News Agency, 26/7/2026)
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di Cosimo GrazianiWashington (Agenzia Fides) – Negli Stati Uniti la Camera dei Rappresentanti ha approvato un disegno di legge che punta a bloccare per il prossimo anno fiscale gli aiuti alla Nigeria e giustifica tale misura come risposta alle violenze contro i cristiani nel Paese africano.Il disegno di legge è stato approvato a metà luglio con una maggioranza di 217 voti a favore contro 209 contrari. La proposta richiede che i governi stranieri e i “soggetti cattivi siano ritenuti responsabili per le persecuzioni delle persone di fede”, e che l’assistenza alla Nigeria sia diminuita “fino a quando non siano prese azioni effettive volte a proteggere le comunità cristiane che soffrono per la violenza religiosa”.La proposta elenca anche gli obiettivi delle misure che vuole introdurre, ovvero offrire “ sostegno a “programmi a favore della libertà religiosa all’estero e protezione alla libertà religiosa per organizzazioni basate sulla fede che si occupano di cooperazione”.La proposta di legare gli aiuti finanziari alla Nigeria alla situazione dei cristiani nel Paese è stata portata avanti da due parlamentari repubblicani: Riley Moore, rappresentante della West Virginia, e Jeff Steube della Florida. Moore da tempo sosteneva l’idea di bloccare i fondi per il Paese africano chiama do in causa la necessità di difendere i cristiani. Nel corso dei mesi poi si era esposto sostenendo che in Nigeria fosse in atto un genocidio contro i cristiani, accusando il governo federale non mettere in atto le misure necessarie contro gli estremisti fulani. Inoltre, aveva anche proposto che Stati Uniti e Nigeria firmassero un accordo di sicurezza per la protezione dei cristiani.Moore ha proposto inizialmente una riduzione del 50% degli aiuti al gigante africano, mentre Steube ha presentato un emendamento che tagliava del tutto gli aiuti ad Abuja. Al momento della votazione, la Camera ha approvato l’emendamento. Steube ha annunciato l’approvazione della proposta di legge con un post su X: “I contribuenti americani non dovrebbero mai finanziare i governi che chiudono gli occhi mentre i cristiani sono sequestrati, torturati e uccisi”.Va sottolineato che si tratta di una prima approvazione di una proposta di legge e non di una legge vera e propria. Per fare in modo che il piano fiscale per il 2027 diventi vincolante occorre che la stessa proposta venga approvata anche dal Senato e venga firmata dal Presidente Donald Trump.L’attuale amministrazione USA già a febbraio ha reso pubblico un rapporto in cui classificava la Nigeria come il posto più pericoloso per i cristiani nel mondo. A seguito di questo rapporto il Paese africano è stato definito “Paese di particolare preoccupazione” per Washington, un’etichetta respinta dal governo di Abuja e da organizzazioni locali e internazionali, che hanno sottolineato come le violenze in Nigeria colpiscano indiscriminatamente cristiani e membri di altre religioni.Negli ultimi mesi apparati di Nigeria e Stati Uniti hanno lavorato assieme, gli USA hanno mandato dei soldati nel Paese, giustificando l’invio come sostegno alla lotta contro vari gruppi terroristici. La collaborazione ha portato ai ringraziamenti di Trump su questo tema, come testimoniato dalla lettera che il Presidente USA ha inviato al governo nigeriano nelle scorse settimane. Secondo quanto rende noto il governo di Abuja, Trump avrebbe anche ringraziato l’amministrazione Tinubu per le sue azioni per combattere i problemi “che affliggono le comunità cristiane”. Dichiarazioni che appaiono in contrasto con la votazione della Camera dei Rappresentati, ma che difficilmente bloccheranno l’approvazione finale della proposta. (Agenzia Fides 26/7/2026)
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I Teatri condominiali all’italiana sono stati riconosciuti Patrimonio dell’Umanità dall’Unesco.
Gioielli storici, architettonici e culturali che, da secoli, impreziosiscono l’identità di borghi e città dell’Italia centrale e la rendono unica.
Questo riconoscimento consolida il primo posto dell’Italia nella classifica dei siti Unesco. Un primato che ci inorgoglisce e che ci sprona a fare sempre di più e meglio. L’Italia è una superpotenza culturale e noi continueremo a fare ogni giorno la nostra parte per custodire, proteggere e valorizzare un patrimonio che tutto il mondo ci invidia.
Grazie a tutti coloro che hanno creduto fin dall’inizio in questa sfida e che hanno permesso potesse essere vinta.
Jakarta (Fides News Agency) – Pope Leo XIV has urged the Churches of Asia to recognize that ecclesial communion “finds its source in the mystery of Christ” and encouraged them to “continue to promote a Eucharistic spirituality within your local Churches.” Pope Leo XIV delivered simple and direct exhortations in a video message to the bishops and other delegates participating in the XII Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), gathered in Jakarta since Monday, July 20, “to discuss,” as the Pontiff himself emphasized, “the important issues affecting the life and future of the Catholic Church in Asia.”In the message, delivered in a video address shown on the afternoon of Saturday, July 25 at the Vanda Room of Hotel Mulia, the Pope recalled that the theme chosen for their Assembly comes from Jesus telling Nathanael in the Gospel of John: “You will see greater things than these.”In calling Philip and Nathanael to follow him and become his disciples, the Pope said that “the Lord alludes to himself as the unique mediator between God and humanity.”Addressing the Assembly, the Bishop of Rome continued: “As His disciples today, we know that Jesus is not only the source of our communion with God, but also with one another.” Quoting the Encyclical Magnifica humanitas, he stressed that Christian solidarity “finds its source in the mystery of Christ and emerges from our communion in the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist.” For this reason, he added, “I would like to encourage you to continue to promote a Eucharistic spirituality within your local Churches, that is, a spirituality of ecclesial unity grounded in the charity that flows from the gift of our Lord in the Eucharist.”Pope Leo expressed the hope that “the bonds of communion within and between the local Churches will be strengthened and become an ever greater sign of God’s presence in your various countries, which in turn will help you be bridge-builders together throughout Asia.”Concluding his video message, and before imparting his blessing, the Pope entrusted the Assembly participants and their deliberations “to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church,” invoking upon them “the Lord’s gifts of wisdom and fortitude.” (GV) (Fides News Agency, 25/7/2026)
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