Bishops world-wide consulting to find better ways to hand on the faith

 

Vatican Is Preparing Document on the ‘Transmission of the Faith’

Cardinal Fernández said that bishops from around the world have expressed ‘concern’ over the breakdown in handing on the faith and ‘proposed a study on the problem and possible ways of resolving it.’

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (photo: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News)

Edward Pentin VaticanMay 15, 2026

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is preparing a major new document on the transmission of the faith, drawing on a wide-ranging consultation with episcopal conferences across the globe.

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the DDF, revealed news of the document to the Register May 15, saying that the forthcoming text is being prepared “in dialogue with the Dicastery for Evangelization.” The cardinal did not specify a date for the text’s publication.

Cardinal Fernández said the document’s origins date back in part to Pope Francis’ 2013 apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). The late pontiff “highly valued popular piety and the family as means of transmitting the faith,” the cardinal said, but had stated in Evangelii Gaudium — although not in these exact words — “that this transmission had been broken.”

Cardinal Fernández said work on the document gathered momentum after bishops from around the world, while on various ad limina visits to the Vatican, had “expressed this concern and proposed a study on the problem and possible ways of resolving it.”

The initiative then took on greater significance when cardinal and bishop members of the DDF were consulted at two of their monthly meetings — called Feria IV. During the first of those meetings, the need for such a document was confirmed and a “fruitful dialogue took place.” Several consultations were then held with experts and a “first draft was prepared” which “forms the basis” for the document in process.

The cardinal said that during further ad limina visits, the scope of the topic was expanded, and at the second Feria IV meeting the DDF decided to “conduct a very broad consultation with all episcopal conferences, various specialists and research centers.”

“The response has been enormous,” Cardinal Fernández observed, adding that “many conferences have already sent their opinions and useful resources.” He noted that the dicastery has been “surprised both by the quantity and the length of the responses received” and predicted it will “take a great deal of time to read and make use of all this material.”

The Argentinian cardinal went on to stress that the breadth of the consultation ensures “a universal perspective, encompassing a wide variety of viewpoints,” and pointed to significant regional differences in how the challenge of transmitting the faith is experienced.

“One need only consider that even among Muslim-majority countries, the bishops’ perspectives on this issue vary greatly,” he continued. “The pastoral experience of the episcopates of North Africa is not the same as that of Mali; the perspective of Turkey is not the same as that of Pakistan. In Europe, Poland is not the same as Germany, and Italy is not the same as England. In Latin America, Argentina is not the same as Colombia, and Brazil is not the same as Peru.”

Cardinal Fernández stressed that “preparing a text on the transmission of the faith today clearly requires moving beyond a European or Italian framework and drawing on the breadth, variety and richness of the universal Church.”

This being the case, he said the document “cannot be a text that offers unique recipes or one-size-fits-all solutions, but it must acknowledge the full scope of the issue and propose some paths that might inspire everyone in some way.”

He said he believed it was “good news that this topic is arousing so much interest” and added that, for this reason, the DDF does not think it “worth distracting ourselves with other topics at this time — all the more so given that, for a while, we will need to focus on the reception of the forthcoming encyclical.”

The cardinal was referring to the reportedly imminent publication of Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, principally on the subject of artificial intelligence.

Under Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Fernández’s DDF has published far fewer major texts than under Pope Francis, who originally appointed the Argentinian to head the influential office in 2023.

Cardinal Fernández indicated that not only is the text on the transmission of faith currently the only major document under preparation at the dicastery but said that the DDF remains “focused on day-to-day work which is overwhelming.”

“Each morning, mountains of correspondence arrive at my office,” he said. “Just skimming through them takes several hours. Then, for each issue, a process of analysis follows.”

Pope Leo XIV calls and details June's consistory

 

File photo of Holy Mass with Cardinals participating in Consistory on 8 January 2026.01.08  (@Vatican Media)

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Pope convokes Consistory to reflect on Church's mission to communicate God's love

In a letter to the Cardinals ahead of a late-June Consistory, Pope Leo XIV calls for a deeper reflection on the themes of “Evangelii gaudium," particularly the reform of the processes of Christian initiation, warning against the temptation of proselytism or a logic of “mere preservation or institutional expansion.”

Vatican News

The mission of the Church “is not its own survival, but the communication of the love with which God loves the world.” This was the message at the heart of Pope Leo XIV's letter to the Cardinals for the Extraordinary Consistory, released on Tuesday. 

The Consistory will take place in the Vatican on June 26 and 27, shortly before the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, and will conclude with a Eucharistic celebration presided over by Pope Leo XIV. The Pope had announced the assembly at the end of the Consistory held on January 7–8.

In the letter, the Pope expresses gratitude for the work carried out during the January Consistory, describing the contributions gathered as “a resource of lasting value” to be further developed through ecclesial discernment.

“Evangelii gaudium” as a guiding reference

Pope Leo points to Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii gaudium, as a continuing point of reference for the Church’s life and mission.

He notes that it “refocuses everything on the kerygma as the heart of Christian and ecclesial identity” and describes it as “a ‘breath of fresh air,' capable of initiating processes of pastoral and missionary conversion.”

Renewal at every level

The Pope outlines how this perspective calls the Church to renewal on multiple levels.

On a personal level, he writes that it calls every baptized person “to renew their encounter with Christ, moving from a faith merely received to a faith truly experienced and lived.”

At the community level, it calls for “a shift from a pastoral approach focused on maintenance to a missionary pastoral approach,” in which communities become “living agents of the proclamation,” marked by attention to relationships and openness to accompaniment and healing.

At the diocesan level, the responsibility of pastors is highlighted, ensuring that missionary dynamism is not “weighed down or stifled by organizational impediments" while fostering discernment focused on what is essential.

A mission rooted in Christ

From these reflections emerges a unified understanding of mission. The Pope describes it as “Christ-centered and kerygmatic,” born from an encounter capable of transforming lives and spreading “through attraction rather than conquest.”

He notes that this mission “conjoins explicit proclamation, witness, commitment, and dialogue,” while avoiding “the temptation of proselytism” and “a logic of mere institutional preservation or expansion.”

Even in contexts where the Church may be a minority, he writes that she is called to live “as a small flock bringing hope to all.”

Concrete priorities

Looking ahead, the Pope highlights several areas for further reflection. He calls for an honest assessment of what has been received from Evangelii gaudium over time, noting that some aspects remain “unknown and unimplemented.”

Among the priorities he identifies are the reform of processes of Christian initiation, the renewed value of apostolic and pastoral visits, and the need “to review the effectiveness of ecclesial communication, including at the level of the Holy See, in a more clearly missionary key.”

Toward the June Consistory

Concluding his letter, the Pope reiterates his gratitude for the service of the Cardinals and confirms that further details will follow in preparation for the June Consistory.

Entrusting the Church to the hope of the Risen Lord, he sends his Easter greetings and invites all the faithful to rediscover the heart of the Church’s mission: to bear witness to the love of God in the world.

Pope Leo XIV opens his 1st Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals: "I am here to listen"

 

Pope Leo XIV addresses the Opening of the Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals in the Vatican  (@Vatican Media)

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Pope at Consistory: It's not the Church that attracts but Christ

Pope Leo XIV opens the Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals and recalls that Christ draws us to follow Him, warning that division in the Church scatters the faithful.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

“I am here to listen,” Pope Leo XIV said in his opening address of the Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals taking place in the Vatican, on 7-8 January.

The Pope began by expressing his joy at welcoming the Cardinals to Rome on the day after Epiphany, praying that the Holy Spirit may guide them during these two intense but important days of reflection and dialogue.

The Pope said their day-and-a-half together “will point the way for our path ahead."

“We must not arrive at a text," he said, "but continue a conversation that will help me in serving the mission of the entire Church.” 

READ POPE LEO'S FULL DISCOURSE HERE

The Holy Father acknowledged that the College of Cardinals is a very diverse group, “enriched by a wide range of backgrounds, cultures, ecclesial and social traditions, formative and academic paths, pastoral experiences, not to mention personal characteristics and traits.” 

"We are called to get to know one another and to dialogue, so that we may work together in serving the Church," he said. "I hope that we can grow in communion and thus offer a model of collegiality.”

In his remarks, the Holy Father had reminded the participants of the significance of the Second Vatican Council and reflected on his predecessor Popes.

"I invite us to pay close attention to what Pope Benedict signaled as the “power” that drives this movement of attraction," he said. "Indeed, this power is Charis, it is Agape, it is the love of God that became incarnate in Jesus Christ and that, in the Holy Spirit, is given to the Church, sanctifying all her actions." 

"Furthermore," Pope Leo underscored, "it is not the Church that attracts, but Christ; and if a Christian or an ecclesial community attracts, it is because through that 'channel' flows the lifeblood of Charity that cascades from the Heart of the Savior."

"While unity attracts, division scatters," he warned.

The Holy Father recognized that the Cardinals would reflect on two themes, choosing from among: Evangelii Gaudium, that is, the mission of the Church in today’s world; Praedicate Evangelium, namely the service of the Holy See, especially to the particular Churches; the Synod and synodality as both an instrument and a style of cooperation; and the liturgy, the source and summit of the Christian life.

Yet, "due to time constraints, and in order to encourage a genuinely in-depth analysis," he said, only two of them will be discussed specifically, being guided by this question: “Looking at the path of the next one or two years, what considerations and priorities could guide the action of the Holy Father and of the Curia regarding each theme?”

This, he said, would be the Cardinals' way of proceeding, as they seek to be "attentive to the heart, mind and spirit of each, listening to one another and expressing only the main point and in a succinct manner, so that all can speak."

"In the future," the Holy Father said, "this way of listening to each other, seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and walking together will continue to be a great help for the Petrine ministry entrusted to me." 

"Even the way in which we learn to work together, with fraternity and sincere friendship," he said, "can give rise to something new, something that brings both the present and the future into focus."

Pope Leo XIV concluded by praying that the Holy Spirit may guide the Cardinals in their reflections, under the gaze of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church.

Pope Leo XIV presides at opening Mass of his 1st Extraordinary Consistory

 

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Pope at Mass: Consistory a time for Cardinals to reflect on Church’s path

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass with the Cardinals gathered for his first Extraordinary Consistory and invites them to share their burden of pastoral care with each other as they seek to help the Pope guide the Church.

By Devin Watkins

At the start of the second day of the Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals, Pope Leo XIV presided at Mass with the Cardinals who have come from across the globe to consult with him.

They began their discussion on Wednesday, January 7, taking up the themes of “Synod and synodality” and “Evangelization and mission in the Church in the light of Evangelii gaudium.”

In his homily, the Pope began with the theme of fraternal love, saying the Consistory represents a moment of grace that expresses their unity in service to the Church.

He noted that the word Consistory comes from the Latin root word meaning “to stop,” saying the Cardinals have stopped their usual work to be with him in Rome.

“We have set aside our activities for a time and renounced even important commitments, so as to come together to discern what the Lord asks of us for the good of His people,” he said.

Calling it a “prophetic gesture” for our frenetic world, Pope Leo said the act of pausing to pray and listen together helps bring us into focus on our goal, so that we never flail in blind action.

Rather than promoting any personal or collective agendas, the Cardinals are invited to discern in light of the Eucharist, so that Christ may return their plans purified, enlightened, and transformed.

“Our College, though rich in many skills and notable gifts,” he said, “is not called, first of all, to be a team of experts, but a community of faith, in which the gifts that each one brings—offered to the Lord and returned by Him—produce, according to His Providence, the greatest fruit.”

The Pope invited the Cardinals to embrace the Trinitarian Love of God and to turn their moment of “stopping” into a “great act of love—toward God, the Church, and all men and women of the world.”

In prayer and silence, they are called to look each other in the face, listen to one another, and become a voice for all those whom the Lord has entrusted to their pastoral concern.

The Consistory, he said, is thus “an act to be lived with a humble and generous heart, in the awareness that it is by grace that we are here, and that there is nothing of what we carry that we have not received, as a gift and a talent not to be wasted, but to be invested with prudence and courage.”

The Pope recalled Pope St. Leo the Great’s exhortation for Christians to cooperate in the same Spirit so that the hungry are fed, the naked are clothed, and no one seeks their own interests over those of others.

Pope Leo XIV went on to recall the “multifaceted beauty” of the Church, to which the Consistory bears witness in its “unity of grace and faith.”

He urged the Cardinals to heed Jesus’ call for them to respond to the desire for peace of the “great crowd” of humanity which struggles for survival amid misery and “desperate existential emptiness.”

The Cardinals’ purpose for meeting together, said Pope Leo, is to help each other and the Pope receive and distribute the “five loaves and two fishes that Providence never fails to provide where His children ask for help.”

“What you offer to the Church in your service, at every level, is something great and extremely personal and profound, unique to each and precious to all,” he said. “And the responsibility you share with the Successor of Peter is grave and burdensome.”

In conclusion, the Pope thanked the Cardinals for their service and entrusted their work together to the Lord.

Pope Leo XIV has Christmas greetings with the Roman curia

 

Pope Leo during the audience with the Roman Curia for the Christmas greetings  (@VATICAN MEDIA)

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Pope: A more missionary Curia must bear witness to communion in a divided world

Pope Leo XIV meets his closest collaborators for the exchange of traditional Christmas greetings. The Pope recalls his 'beloved predecessor' Francis and his encouragement to be a Church that is 'welcoming to all,' urging them consider the 'major ecclesial, pastoral, and social challenges' and to become a sign of peace for a world marked by conflict.

By Salvatore Cernuzio

Mission and communion were two of the key themes of Pope Leo's address during the traditional exchange of Christmas greetings of the Roman Curia:  mission, so that the work of the Roman Curia may be increasingly directed outward, at the service of the particular Churches, with “institutions, offices, and tasks” designed to face the major ecclesial, pastoral and social challenges, and not merely to ensure ordinary administration;” and communion, by avoiding “rigidity” or “ideology” on issues such as faith, liturgy, and morality, by cultivating authentic relationships, and by becoming a prophetic sign of peace in a world marked by fractures, divisions, and an aggressiveness often fueled by the web and politics. 

Remembering Pope Francis

The applause of his closest collaborators accompanied the Pope's entrance into the Hall of Benedictions, a symbolic place connecting the Apostolic Palace with the world through its opening onto the Loggia of Benedictions. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, delivered his greeting to Pope Leo XIV, who in turn began his address with the memory of his “beloved predecessor, Pope Francis.” With “prophetic voice, pastoral style and rich magisterium,” Francis marked the path of the Church in recent years, “encouraging us above all to place God’s mercy at the center, to give renewed impetus to evangelization, and to be a joyful Church, welcoming to all and attentive to the poorest.”

From the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, Pope Leo drew inspiration to remind the Roman Curia of two fundamental aspects of the Church’s life: mission and communion.

The Pope’s meeting with the Roman Curia for the Christmas greetings   (@VATICAN MEDIA)

The missionary nature of the Church

“By her very nature, the Church is outward-looking, turned toward the world, missionary,” the Pope affirmed, as shown by the fact that “God himself first set out toward us and, in Christ, came in search of us.”

“The first great “exodus,” then, is God’s own — his going forth from himself to meet us. The mystery of Christmas proclaims precisely this: the Son’s mission consists in his coming into the world.”

This mission becomes a “criterion of discernment” for the journey of faith, for ecclesial practices, and also for service in the Roman Curia, Leo XIV emphasized: "Structures must not weigh down or slow the progress of the Gospel or hinder the dynamism of evangelization; instead, we must 'make them more mission-oriented'” This spirit must therefore animate curial work, aimed at fostering “pastoral solicitude in service to the particular Churches and their pastors.”

“We need an ever more missionary Roman Curia, in which institutions, offices and tasks are conceived in light of today’s major ecclesial, pastoral and social challenges, and not merely to ensure ordinary administration.”

The specters of division

The mission of the Church is closely linked to communion, the Pope stressed. Communion based on mutual love and reciprocal solidarity is a task that is extremely urgent both internally and externally, he noted. Internally, because “communion in the Church always remains a challenge that calls us to conversion.”

“At times, beneath an apparent calm, forces of division may be at play. We can fall into the temptation of swinging between two opposite extremes: uniformity that fails to value differences, or the exacerbation of differences and viewpoints instead of seeking communion.”

United despite differences

“Thus, in interpersonal relationships, in internal office dynamics, or in addressing questions of faith, liturgy, morality and more besides, there is a risk of falling into rigidity or ideology, with their consequent conflicts,” the Pope warned. Yet “we are brothers and sisters” and, “though many and diverse, we are one: In Illo uno unum", he said, citing the motto chosen for his pontificate.

The invitation to the Curia is therefore to build this communion, which takes shape “in a synodal Church where all cooperate in the same mission, each according to his or her charism and role. This communion is built not so much through words and documents as through concrete gestures and attitudes that ought to appear in our daily lives, including in our work.”

“At times this bitterness finds its way among us as well, when, after many years of service in the Curia, we observe with disappointment that certain dynamics – linked to the exercise of power, the desire to prevail, or the pursuit of personal interests – are slow to change. We then ask ourselves: is it possible to be friends in the Roman Curia? To have relationships of genuine fraternal friendship?”

Being a prophetic sign of peace

“Amid daily toil, it is a grace to find trustworthy friends, where masks fall away, no one is used or sidelined, genuine support is offered, and each person’s worth and competence are respected, preventing resentment and dissatisfaction,” the Pope noted. It is therefore “a personal conversion” that he asks members of the Roman Curia to pursue, so that it may also become a sign outwardly, “in a world wounded by discord, violence and conflict, where we also witness a growth in aggression and anger, often exploited by both the digital sphere and politics.”

“The Lord’s birth brings the gift of peace and invites us to become its prophetic sign in a human and cultural context that is too fragmented.”

Not tending one’s own plot

"The work of the Curia and of the Church in general must also be conceived within this broader horizon," Pope Leo affirmed. “We are not mere gardeners tending our own plot, but disciples and witnesses of the Kingdom of God, called in Christ to be leaven of universal fraternity among different peoples, religions and cultures.

"This happens if we ourselves live as brothers and sisters and allow the light of communion to shine in the world,” the Pope added.

Nicaea and the Council

In closing, the Pope made reference to the Jubilee now nearing its conclusion. The Holy Year has been dedicated to the theme of hope, during which two important events were celebrated: “The Council of Nicaea, which brings us back to the roots of our faith, and the Second Vatican Council, which, by fixing its gaze on Christ, strengthened the Church and sent her forth to engage the modern world, remaining attentive to the joys, hopes, griefs and anxieties of the people of our time.”

To these commemorations, Leo XIV also adds the remembrance of Evangelii nuntiandi, the Apostolic Exhortation of Paul VI on evangelization in the modern world, promulgated fifty years ago on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. The document teaches that “the first means of evangelization is the witness of an authentically Christian life, given over to God in a communion that nothing should destroy and at the same time given to one’s neighbor with limitless zeal.”

“Let us remember this also in our curial service: the work of each is important for the whole, and the witness of a Christian life, expressed in communion, is the first and greatest service we can offer,” Pope Leo said.

“May the Lord bring us his light and grant peace to the world.”

The gift of a book by Brother Lawrence

As is traditional, the Pope gives a book at the end of the audience. From Leo XIV it is The Practice of the Presence of God, the volume by the Carmelite friar Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, recently published by the Vatican Publishing House, which the Pontiff, on his return flight from Beirut, indicated as the means for understanding his “spirituality” in depth.

Pope Leo XIV meets with the Italian Bishops Conference

 

Pope Leo XIV meets with the Italian Bishops' Conference in the Vatican  (@Vatican Media)

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'We transmit the faith with Jesus at the center,' Pope Leo XIV tells Italian Bishops

Pope Leo XIV invites Italy's Bishops to embrace their primary responsibility of proclaiming and transmitting the faith, while always keeping Christ at the forefront, urging them to cultivate peace and work together.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"A renewed impulse is required to proclaim and transmit the faith. This means placing Jesus Christ at the center."

Pope Leo XIV gave this reminder when addressing the Italian Bishops' Conference, or the CEI, in the Vatican's Hall of Blessings on Tuesday morning.

In his remarks, the Pope called for collegiality, witness, and, most of all, "helping people live a personal relationship with the Lord," following the path indicated by the late Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, "so they may discover the joy of the Gospel."

“This means placing Jesus Christ at the center, and, following the path indicated by Evangelii gaudium, helping people to live a personal relationship with Him, so they may discover the joy of the Gospel.”

Returning to foundations of our faith

Saying we live in a time of great fragmentation, the Holy Father called for returning "to the foundations of our faith, to the kerygma."

Pope Leo XIV meets with the Italian Episcopal Conference in the Vatican  (@Vatican Media)

This, he said, is the first great commitment that motivates all the others, namely "bringing Christ 'into the veins' of humanity, by renewing and sharing the apostolic mission."

Pope Leo invited the Italian Bishops to discern ways to bring the Good News to everyone, "with pastoral actions capable of reaching those who are furthest away," and "with suitable tools for renewing catechesis and the language of proclamation."

'Let us be drawn to Him'

Pope Leo invited them to join him in walking together, "with joy in our hearts and a song on our lips," for God, he noted, "is greater than our mediocrity."

"Let us be drawn to Him! Let us place our trust in His providence," he said.

“Dearest brothers, let us walk together, with joy in our hearts and a song on our lips. God is greater than our mediocrity: let us be drawn to Him! Let us place our trust in His providence.”

The Pope told the Italian Bishops to foster a Church that embodies the Gospel and is a sign of the Kingdom of God, by proclaiming the Gospel, peace, human dignity, and dialogue.

The relationship with Christ, the Holy Father underscored, calls us to develop pastoral attention to the theme of peace.

"The Lord sends us into the world to bring His very gift: 'Peace be with you!'—and to become its artisans in the places of daily life," the Pope said, noting he thinks of parishes, neighborhoods, inner areas of the country, and urban and existential peripheries.

"Where human and social relationships become difficult and conflict arises, even subtly," he urged, "there must be a visible Church of reconciliation." 

The Pope also urged them to promote collegiality among themselves and with the Successor of Peter and to reflect the principle of communion through cooperation with civil authorities. "The CEI is, in fact," he observed, "a place of dialogue and synthesis of the Bishops' thought regarding the most important issues for the common good."

Challenges on the ground

The Pope recalled when his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI, in 2006, described the Church in Italy as “a very vibrant reality which maintains a widespread presence among people of all ages and conditions” and where “Christian traditions are still often deeply rooted and continue to bear fruit.” 

Nevertheless, Pope Leo lamented, the Christian community in the country has long been facing new challenges "tied to secularism, a certain disaffection with the faith, and the demographic crisis."

Yet, the Holy Father echoed the late Pope Francis' frequent reminder "to not be disturbed" and to work toward peace.

Saying every community should become a “house of peace," Pope Leo stressed that peace "is not a spiritual utopia," but rather a humble path, made of daily actions.

The Pope also named challenges "that call into question the respect for the dignity of the human person," such as artificial intelligence, biotechnologies, the data economy, and social media, which, he observed, profoundly transform our perception and experience of life.

"In this context," he warned, "the dignity of the human being risks being flattened or forgotten, replaced by functions, automatisms, simulations," especially since "the person is not a system of algorithms: he or she is a creature, a relationship, a mystery."

We are sent to proclaim the Gospel

Pope Leo expressed his hope that the journey of the Church in Italy may include, "in coherent symbiosis with the centrality of Jesus, an anthropological vision as an essential instrument of pastoral discernment."

"Without a living reflection on the human being—in his or her corporeality, vulnerability, thirst for the infinite, and capacity for relationship," the Pope warned, "ethics is reduced to a code, and faith risks becoming disembodied."

Going forward in unity

Before concluding, the Holy Father exhorted the Bishops to advance in unity, urging them to look with serenity toward tomorrow and not be afraid of courageous choices.

"No one can prevent you from being close to the people, from sharing life, from walking with the least, from serving the poor," he said.

And "no one," Pope Leo underscored, "can stop you from proclaiming the Gospel—and it is the Gospel that we are sent to bring, because this is what everyone—ourselves first of all—needs in order to live well and to be happy."

“No one can stop you from proclaiming the Gospel—and it is the Gospel that we are sent to bring, because this is what everyone—ourselves first of all—needs in order to live well and to be happy.”

Welcoming lay faithful as 'protagonists'

The Pope also urged the Bishops of Italy to be attentive that the lay faithful, nourished by the Word of God and formed in the Social Doctrine of the Church, "may be the protagonists" of evangelization in their workplaces, in schools, in hospitals, in social and cultural settings, in the economy, and in politics.

Before imparting his Apostolic Blessing, Pope Leo XIV concluded by entrusting the Italian Bishops to the protection of the Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Loreto, of Pompeii, and of the countless shrines that are scattered throughout Italy.