Italian Bishops' Conference

The Latest

Pope Francis presides over the funeral Mass for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in St. Peter's Square on Jan. 5, 2023.

Analysis: Pope Francis centralizes authority with reform of Diocese of Rome

Jan 15, 2023

By Andrea Gagliarducci

It was widely anticipated that a major reform of the Diocese of Rome was coming, but no one expected it... Read more

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of the Italian bishops’ conference.

Cardinal Zuppi announces report on clerical sex abuse in Italy

May 27, 2022

By Courtney Mares

The report will only cover the years 2000 to 2021. Read more

Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston.

Cardinal O’Malley urges Italian Catholic bishops to ‘make things right’ for abuse survivors

May 26, 2022

By Hannah Brockhaus

‘We have nothing to fear by telling the truth,’ said the head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of... Read more

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, Italy.

Will Cardinal Zuppi lead Italy’s bishops’ conference in a new direction?

May 25, 2022

By Andrea Gagliarducci

The 66-year-old cardinal is often described as ‘papabile.’ Read more

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna, Italy, in St. Peter's Basilica on Oct. 5, 2019.

‘Bicycling cardinal’ is new leader of Italy’s Catholic bishops’ conference

May 24, 2022

By Hannah Brockhaus

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, 66, has led the Bologna archdiocese since 2015. Read more

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi and Cardinal Augusto Paolo Lojudice.

Who will be the next leader of Italy’s Catholic bishops’ conference?

Mar 29, 2022

By Andrea Gagliarducci

The choice will ultimately be made by Pope Francis. Read more

Cardinal Mario Grech, General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops.

Synod on Synodality organizers want local stage to focus on one fundamental question

Nov 24, 2021

By Courtney Mares

Cardinal Mario Grech was addressing the Italian bishops. Read more

Pope Francis addresses the Italian bishops’ conference in Rome, Nov. 22, 2021.

Pope Francis speaks to Italy’s Catholic bishops in ‘strictly private’ meeting

Nov 23, 2021

By Hannah Brockhaus

Pope Francis gave the bishops a card with a meditation called ‘The Beatitudes of the Bishop.’ Read more

Pope Francis speaks to Italian bishops' conference meeting in Rome on May 24, 2021.

Pope Francis encourages Italian bishops as the conference begins ‘synodal journey’

May 24, 2021

By Courtney Mares

The pope gave unscripted remarks as he opened the Italian bishops’ spring assembly on May 24, speaking to a conference... Read more

The site of the cable car crash on the Mottarone mountain on May 23, 2021.

Bishops offer prayers for 14 victims of cable car accident in Italy

May 24, 2021

By Courtney Mares

Fourteen people died in a cable car crash in northern Italy Sunday after the cable carrying the passengers up a... Read more

Bishop Claudio Maniago, president of the Italian bishops’ conference’s liturgy commission.

Bishop hopes new Italian missal will help Catholics rediscover beauty of Mass

Nov 26, 2020

By Hannah Brockhaus

As the Church in Italy prepares to introduce its new translation of the Roman Missal on Sunday, the bishop in... Read more

Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, president of the Italian bishops’ conference, at a press conference in Bari, Italy, on Jan. 22, 2020.

Convalescing cardinal prays for coronavirus sufferers

Nov 19, 2020

A cardinal who is convalescing after he was hospitalized with the coronavirus said Thursday that he was praying for those... Read more

"Cuties."

Italian bishops' conference newspaper defends Netflix's 'Cuties'

Sep 17, 2020

According to L'Avvenire, the official newspaper of the Italian bishops' conference, those who have criticized the controversial French movie "Cuties,"... Read more

Pope Francis speaks to cardinals and bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Italy in Vatican City on May 21, 2018.

Italian bishops defend crucifixes in school classrooms

Oct 2, 2019

The Italian bishops conference have condemned a proposal from Italy’s education minister that crucifixes should be removed from public school classrooms.   Read more

Pope Francis prays the Our Father while meeting with the Italian bishops' conference at the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, May 18, 2015.

Holy See confirms changes to Italian liturgical translation of Our Father, Gloria

Jun 7, 2019

By Hannah Brockhaus

The Apostolic See has confirmed the translation of the third edition of the Roman Missal prepared by the Italian bishops'... Read more

St. Peter's Square. CNA file photo.

Italian bishops’ conference establishes national center for youth protection

Nov 17, 2018

By Andrea Gagliarducci

With the intention of “providing a radical solution” to the sex abuse issue, the Italian bishops’ conference established Thursday a... Read more

Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco of Genoa, president of the Italian bishops' conference, at the Vatican, May 2015.

Top Italian cardinal throws punch at new civil unions law

May 18, 2016

By Andrea Gagliarducci

In a powerful speech Tuesday at the opening of the Italian bishops' general assembly, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco of Genoa decried... Read more

Italian bishops' television pulls invite to trans-sexual activist

Nov 11, 2014

By Andrea Gagliarducci

Following protests from viewers, the Italian bishops' conference-run TV station has withdrawn an invitation to a popular Italian trans-sexual and... Read more

 Bishop Nunzio Galantino enters the Italian Embassy to the Holy See, in Rome on Feb. 18 2014.

Italian bishop: Catholics in 'irregular' relationships welcome in Church

Aug 29, 2014

Those who are in irregular marital situations cannot receive Holy Communion but are still Christian faithful and “must feel at... Read more

Pope Francis greets an Italian cardinal outside the Vatican's Synod Hall at the beginning of the general assembly of the Italian bishops' conference, May 19, 2014.

Follow Christ, Pope Francis tells the bishops of Italy

May 20, 2014

In his address Monday at the opening of the Italian bishops’ general assembly – the first time a Pope has... Read more