St. Peter’s Basilica at the heart of the Vatican in Rome, Italy.
© iStockphoto.com/jarcosa
— The Vatican City State just observed a new public holiday: The Feast of St. Robert Bellarmine was elevated to the status of national holiday to celebrate Pope Leo XIV’s patron saint.
The new pope follows the tradition of giving Vatican employees a paid day off on his name day. Born Robert Francis Prevost, Pope Leo XIV celebrates St. Robert as his patron saint. The new holiday replaces St. George’s feast day as national holiday, which was celebrating the name day saint of Pope Francis (born Jorge M. Bergoglio).
Vatican City has 25 public holidays, including major Christian feasts, dates surrounding Easter and Christmas, and special days for the pope, such as this new feast and the anniversary of the pope’s election.