You heard of the popemobile, now meet the papal lawn mower
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Pope Leo XIV receives an electric lawn mower from Czech manufacturer Swardman during a general audience in mid-November 2025. / Credit: Photo courtesy of SwardmanRome Newsroom, Dec 7, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).The Vatican's gardeners have a new tool for maintaining the papal grounds: a custom-designed electric lawn mower bearing the Holy See's coat of arms.Pope Leo XIV received the white Electra 2.0 mower during a general audience in mid-November, a gift from Czech manufacturer Swardman.The specially commissioned model features leather-lined handles and was hand-assembled at the company's facility in Šardice, Czech Republic. "It was an incredibly powerful experience full of humility and respect," Jakub Dvorák, the company's sales manager who personally presented the gift, told CNA. "The pontiff appreciated the Vatican's coat of arms placed on the appliance, listened with interest as we explained how it functions, and thanked us very politely."The quiet, precision-cutting mower is d...
Pope Leo XIV receives an electric lawn mower from Czech manufacturer Swardman during a general audience in mid-November 2025. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Swardman
Rome Newsroom, Dec 7, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).
The Vatican's gardeners have a new tool for maintaining the papal grounds: a custom-designed electric lawn mower bearing the Holy See's coat of arms.
Pope Leo XIV received the white Electra 2.0 mower during a general audience in mid-November, a gift from Czech manufacturer Swardman.
The specially commissioned model features leather-lined handles and was hand-assembled at the company's facility in Šardice, Czech Republic. "It was an incredibly powerful experience full of humility and respect," Jakub Dvorák, the company's sales manager who personally presented the gift, told CNA. "The pontiff appreciated the Vatican's coat of arms placed on the appliance, listened with interest as we explained how it functions, and thanked us very politely."
The quiet, precision-cutting mower is destined for use in the Vatican Gardens or possibly at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, according to a press release from the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which facilitated the presentation.
Founded in 2013, the company manufactures lawn care equipment that it describes as combining functionality with "timeless elegance" suited to historic settings. The Czech Embassy to the Holy See played a key role in arranging the gift, which Dvorák called "a moment of unmistakable magic."
Vatican gardeners will put the electric mower to work maintaining the manicured lawns that provide green respite within the world's smallest state.
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Promo photo for the The Better Part Journal of shadows of Madonna lilies for the Blessed Virgin Mary. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Heidi Bollich-ErneWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 7, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).While teaching an ethics and culture course, Heidi Bollich-Erne was looking for a journal featuring the work of Catholic women for her students to read. After being told that it simply didn't exist, she decided to create one herself.With the help of a team of women, Bollich-Erne has founded what she calls the "first intellectual Catholic women's journal." Its purpose is to not only define the feminine genius but also to show how faithful women can embody its beauty in their daily lives. "I want women to find a home, a place that values their work. The journal itself is edited, written, and published solely by Catholic women," Bollich-Erne told CNA. "The way that women write, the way that we express ourselves is very different. That's just who we are. That's part of the ge...
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Pope Leo XIV addresses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican for the Angelus on December 7, 2025. / Vatican MediaVatican City, Dec 7, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).Pope Leo XIV on Sunday said his apostolic journey to Turkey and Lebanon showed that "peace is possible," pointing to renewed steps toward Christian unity and powerful encounters with the Lebanese people still seeking justice after the 2020 Beirut port explosion.Speaking after the Angelus to pilgrims gathered in St Peter's Square on Dec. 7, the pope recalled praying in Iznik, ancient Nicea, with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, considered first among equals among Eastern Orthodox bishops, and representatives of other Christian communities on the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. Marking Sunday's 60th anniversary of the Common Declaration between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, Leo said, "We give thanks to God and renew our dedication to journeying towards the full visible unity ...
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The Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia. / Credit: Mehdi Kasumov/ShutterstockCNA Staff, Dec 6, 2025 / 14:30 pm (CNA).The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is mobilizing Catholics this Advent to pray the St. Andrew Christmas Novena prayer 15 times daily for a single intention: the reconciliation of the 83% of baptized Catholics in the archdiocese who no longer participate in the sacramental life of the Church.The "St. Andrew Novena for the 83%," organized by the archdiocese's Office for the New Evangelization, is running from Nov. 30 through Dec. 24. Participants are asked to recite the traditional prayer 15 times each day while praying specifically for the grace of reconciliation for loved ones currently disconnected from the faith."The novena is an opportunity for practicing Catholics to pray intentionally for their loved ones who are currently disconnected from their Catholic faith. It's also an opportunity to pray in communion with hundreds of fellow Catholic...
