Vatican introduces AI-assisted live translations for Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica

The Vatican is rolling out an AI-assisted live translation service intended to help attendees follow principal celebrations at St. Peter’s Basilica in their preferred language. Visitors can scan a QR code and access live audio and text translations on a mobile web page, without installing an app.^[1][2]

Context and background

St. Peter’s Basilica draws pilgrims and visitors from around the world, but large celebrations are typically conducted in a limited set of languages. The Vatican is presenting the translation service as part of broader upgrades linked to the basilica’s 400th anniversary, with a focus on improving access and the visitor experience.^[1][3][4]

The rollout also follows earlier Vatican efforts to use AI in public-facing projects at St. Peter’s, including an AI-enabled digital experience announced in 2024.^[5][6][7]

Key details

How people use it. Visitors can scan QR codes inside the basilica to open a dedicated web page on their phones. Vatican News says the page provides live audio and text translations, and does not require downloading an app or using special equipment.^[1][2]

Language coverage. The service reportedly supports up to 60 languages.^[2][3][4]

Who is involved. Vatican News says the platform was developed with the Dicastery for Communication and Translated, a language technology company.^[1]

How the Vatican is presenting it. In a statement quoted by Engadget, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti said the aim is to help visitors understand the words of the liturgy. He also described the basilica’s approach as looking to the future “with prudence and discernment.”^[3]

Underlying technology. The translation system is based on the live interpreting capabilities of Lara, a translation AI platform developed by Translated.^[1] Translated introduced Lara in 2024 and has published evaluation claims comparing it against other machine translation systems.^[8]

Why this matters

This is a practical use of AI in a setting where the audience is global and the content is formal. For visitors, it lowers the language barrier in real time using a device they already have.^[1][2]

It also places AI translation in a high-trust environment, where small errors can change meaning. Live translation can improve accessibility, but it increases the importance of quality control and clear communication about how translations are generated and supervised.

Outlook

The service is currently framed around principal celebrations at St. Peter’s Basilica, not a Vatican-wide rollout.^[1] It is not yet clear how broadly it will be deployed over time, how translation quality will be monitored during live use, or whether the language list and features will expand after initial deployment.