Osaka Expo: Caravaggio's Deposition exhibited in the Holy See Pavilion

The Holy See will take part in the Expo 2025 event in Osaka, Japan, which will run from April 13 to October 13, 2025. The Vatican Pavilion will be hosted inside the Italian Pavilion, thanks to a special collaboration with the Italian Government, and in particular with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani.

The theme of the Holy See Pavilion will be " La Bellezza porta Speranza - Beauty brings Hope", a universal message which underlines the transformative power of beauty in reawakening the desire for a better world. The title plays on the double meaning in Italian of the word ‘Porta’ (which can mean ‘door’ or ‘carry’) and also recalls the image of the Holy Door of the Jubilee in Rome, a symbol of welcome and reconciliation.

The Vatican Pavilion, for the entire duration of Expo 2025, will host Caravaggio's Deposition, a work personally chosen by Pope Francis to convey a message of hope in a context of drama and resurrection. The Vatican’s General Commissioner for the event, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, has appointed two Vice-Commissioners: Monsignor Pietro Bongiovanni, parish priest of San Salvatore in Lauro in Rome, and Father Nuno Alexandre Henriques De Lima, the parish priest of the Tamatsukuri Catholic Church in Osaka.

In addition, the presence of the Holy See at the Universal Exposition will be boosted by the participation of ‘Ambassadors’, including the sculptors Etsuro Sotoo and Cecco Bonanotte, the orchestra conductor Tomomi Nishimoto and the cartoonist Kan Takahama, whose participation will give extra prestige and lustre to the program.

The official logo of the Holy See Pavilion at Expo 2025 has also been presented. It combines Christian and Japanese symbols depicting the dome of St. Peter's and the rising sun, accompanied by references to Japanese calligraphy Sumi-e. During Expo 2025, the Vatican Pavilion will also host several cultural events, with further details being provided in the coming months.