Vatican Launches Free Video Widget for Diocesan and Parish Websites Worldwide

Vatican, Feb 19, 2026: Pope Leo has written to Bishops worldwide, encouraging them to integrate a newly launched video widget from Vatican News into the official websites of dioceses, parishes, and Catholic institutions. The tool is designed to automatically display the most recent news and video content concerning the Pope and the Holy See.

“Dear brother, this initiative by Vatican News is a tool for evangelisation; it offers an opportunity to create a network and exchange gifts between Rome and the Church in your country. It is a way for your parishes and communities to constantly obtain information from the primary source.”

In his note addressed to Bishops across the globe, Pope Leo highlighted the pastoral value of the initiative, urging local Churches to make use of the new digital resource.

Through this feature, dioceses, parishes, Catholic associations, and Church-linked organisations can incorporate updated video clips and news reports about the Pope and the Holy See on their websites at no cost.

Visitors accessing diocesan or parish websites via desktop, tablet, or smartphone devices will receive continuous updates on the magisterium and activities of the Bishop of Rome. Content relating to the Pope can also be shared on social media platforms in multiple languages.

“It would be important for the video widget to be widely distributed across as many websites as possible, to emphasise the link with the Bishop of Rome,” said Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, in a letter attached to the Pope's note, adding that it is also “a useful tool for evangelisation.”

“The spread of this new tool,” said Andrea Tornielli, Editorial Director of the Dicastery for Communication, “can serve to combat the phenomenon of fake news by allowing immediate access to the original source of news and texts, as emphasised by the Holy Father in the note with which he wished to support this new initiative.”

The widget can be added to any website free of charge by copying and pasting the generated code. To customise it in a preferred language and select the appropriate size—either horizontal or vertical layout, along with text font—users can visit: https://www.vaticannews.va/widget/embed.html

After entering the necessary specifications, a personalised code is created for embedding. This setup is completed once by the site’s webmaster, after which the widget updates automatically without requiring further adjustments.

The feature provides short, real-time videos about the Pope and the Holy See in both horizontal and vertical formats, which are easily shareable on social media. It also includes a live news feed from Vatican News in the selected language and a direct link to Vatican.va, where the Pope’s complete texts are accessible.

Additionally, the widget offers direct access to L'Osservatore Romano and Vatican Radio.

Courtesy: Vatican News