Catholic Media Journal

The oldest of the mass media used today by the Vatican is L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican’s newspaper, first published in 1861. Distributed throughout the world, weekly editions are published in 6 different languages and a Polish edition is published monthly. The Vatican’s website offers a brief history of the newspaper that highlights several undoubtedly intriguing stages leading to its position as “the Holy See’s official organ of information” in 1885. The website offers this observation:

Faithful to its origins, in these 146 years of life L’Osservatore Romano has continued its work of the service of the truth. With enthusiasm and with no fear of sounding a discordant note, it has documented the history of peoples and nations. Above all, it has continued its privileged service, making known the Magisterium of the Successor of Peter.