…Some areas of pastoral life, which I would like to briefly touch on.
… In particular, regarding the relationship between Christian initiation and evangelization, we need a clear change of direction; in fact, ordinary pastoral care is structured according to a classical model that is primarily concerned with ensuring the administration of the sacraments, but such a model presupposes that faith is also somehow transmitted by the surrounding environment, by society as well as by the family environment. In reality, the cultural and anthropological changes that have occurred in recent decades tell us that this is no longer the case; indeed, we are witnessing a growing erosion of religious practice.
Therefore, it is urgent to return to proclaiming the Gospel: this is the priority. With humility, but also without being discouraged, we must recognize that "part of our baptized people does not experience their belonging to the Church," and this also calls for vigilance against a "sacramentalization without other forms of evangelization" (Evangelii Gaudium, 63). Let us recall the questions of the Apostle Paul: "How are they to believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?" (Rom 10:14). Like all large urban agglomerations, the city of Rome is marked by constant mobility, by a new way of inhabiting the territory and experiencing time, by increasingly plural and sometimes frayed relational and family fabrics. Therefore, parish ministry must refocus on proclamation, seeking ways and means to help people reconnect with Jesus' promise. In this context, Christian initiation, often dictated by school curriculum, needs to be revisited: we need to experiment with other ways of transmitting the faith, even beyond traditional paths, to seek to engage children, young people, and families in new ways. (I agree to a certain extent. As with so many things Catholic, it isn’t either/or but both/and. The relatively new phenomenon of homeschooling, was an experiment that many officials in the Church were suspicious of because it took control for catechetical formation from the institutional parish to the home. Many feared this would adversely affect Catholic schools and CCD programs. But in fact, home schoolers are better formed in the faith than what can be done by the parish alone, schools or CCD programs. I think also of theology on tap and other creative ways to evangelize. What are some others though and what do you think Pope Leo has in mind?)
A second aspect is this: learning to work together, in communion. To prioritize evangelization in all its many forms, we cannot think and act alone. In the past, the parish was more firmly tied to the local area, and all who lived there belonged to it; today, however, lifestyles and models have shifted from stability to mobility, and many people, not only for work, but also for various experiences, also living relationships beyond their territorial and cultural boundaries. The parish alone is not enough to initiate a process of evangelization capable of reaching those unable to participate adequately. In a large territory like Rome, we must overcome the temptation to self-absorption, which breeds overexertion and dispersion, and work increasingly together, especially among neighboring parishes, sharing charisms and potential, planning together, and avoiding overlapping initiatives. Greater coordination is needed, which, far from being a pastoral expedient, seeks to express our priestly communion. (Definitely in the Diocese of Savannah, people attend parishes where they are nourished, find friendship and are enabled to exercise ministries. Other parishes provide more traditional liturgy and music while others are more contemporary. Can we all work together without denigrating each other but also avoiding heterodoxy?)
One final aspect I would like to emphasize: closeness to young people. Many of them—we know—"live without any reference to God and the Church" (Address to Participants in the Plenary Session of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, January 29, 2026). It is therefore a matter of grasping and interpreting the profound existential unease that inhabits them, their confusion, their multiple difficulties, as well as the phenomena affecting them in the virtual world and the symptoms of a worrying aggressiveness, which at times leads to violence. I know you are aware of this reality and are committed to addressing it. We don't have easy solutions that guarantee immediate results, but, wherever possible, we can listen to young people, be present, welcome them, and share a little of their lives. At the same time, since these issues affect various aspects of life, we also seek, as parishes, to dialogue and interact with local institutions, schools, specialists in education and the humanities, and all those who care about the fate and future of our young people. (I do think that a problem with neo-traditionalist clergy, usually of a younger and less mature vintage, is that they are aloof, above and paternalistic towards the laity. They appear to be threatened by those who exercise lay ministries. There can be a certain arrogance. But on the other end, there can be a loss of priestly identity and become a pal priest with a pal Jesus. Somewhere in the middle is the best way to go.)
And speaking of youth, I would like to offer a word of encouragement to younger priests—almost all of you, right?—who often experience firsthand the potential and struggles of their generation and this era. In a more difficult and less rewarding social and ecclesial context, one can run the risk of quickly exhausting one's energy, accumulating frustration, and falling into loneliness. I urge you to be faithful daily in your relationship with the Lord and to work with enthusiasm, even if you don't yet see the fruits of your apostolate. Above all, I invite you to never withdraw into yourselves: don't be afraid to discuss yourselves, even your own fatigue and crises, especially with the brothers you believe can help you. Of course, all of us are required to have an attitude of listening and attentiveness, through which we can concretely live out our priestly fraternity. Let us accompany and support one another.
Dear friends, I am happy to have shared this moment with you. As I recently recalled, our first commitment is to "preserve and foster our vocation through a constant journey of conversion and renewed fidelity, which is never merely an individual journey but rather a commitment to caring for one another" (Apostolic Letter, A Fidelity That Generates a Future, 13). In this way, we will be pastors after God's heart and will be able to best serve our diocese of Rome. Thank you!
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