New History: Indonesian Language Officially Used on Vatican News
Indonesian has marked a new chapter in international affairs by becoming the first national language from Southeast Asia to be used on the official news portal of the Holy See, Vatican News. The inauguration of this cooperation took place at an event in the Vatican on 25 March 2026.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Holy See, Michael Trias Kuncahyono, described this achievement as a historic moment for the Indonesian nation, particularly for Indonesian Catholics.
“This moment is a historic event for the Indonesian nation, especially for Catholics in Indonesia,” said Michael.
The agreement was formalised through the signing of a cooperation deal by the Chairman of the Social Communications Commission of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference, Mgr. Agustinus Tri Budi Utomo (Mgr. Didik), and the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication of the Holy See, Dr. Paolo Ruffini.
Through this cooperation, Indonesian officially becomes the 57th language used by Vatican News.
Mgr. Didik, who also serves as the Bishop of Surabaya, hopes that this collaboration will serve as a channel of blessing, bringing glad tidings to all citizens of the nation.
“With this cooperation, the Indonesian people will now hear directly the messages from the Pope and news from the Vatican in their mother tongue, Indonesian,” said Mgr. Didik.
The Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, Paolo Ruffini, explained that this step is a tangible manifestation of the diplomatic relations between Indonesia and the Holy See, which have been ongoing for 75 years as of 2025.
He also recalled the history in 1947, when the Holy See became the first European state to recognise Indonesia’s independence.
Ruffini added that the extraordinary enthusiasm of the Indonesian people during Pope Francis’s visit in 2024 was the main inspiration for realising this cooperation.
“Our dream is to create a platform where Catholic communities around the world are fully connected, enabling them to share not only text, images, and audio in real-time, but also the living experiences of the Church, wherever they are,” stated Ruffini.
Vatican News is the official information portal of the Holy See, covering the activities of the Pope, particular churches, and world news.
The platform integrates various media such as Vatican Radio and L’Osservatore Romano through multimedia and multilingual formats.
The Indonesian Ambassador emphasised that the signing of this memorandum of understanding (MoU) is an opening step for greater achievements in the future.
It is hoped that the ongoing dedication between the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (KWI) and the Dicastery for Communication will continue to support the implementation of this cooperation moving forward.