Fathers Mazzolari, Milani, Di Liegro: Pope Leo praises 20th-century Italian priests
June 13, 2025
In his June 12 address to clergy of the Diocese of Rome (CWN coverage), Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to three 20th-century Italian priests:
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In recent times we have had the example of holy priests who have been able to combine a passion for history with the proclamation of the Gospel, such as Don Primo Mazzolari and Don Lorenzo Milani, prophets of peace and justice. And here in Rome we have had Don Luigi Di Liegro who, faced with so much poverty, devoted his life to seeking ways of justice and human advancement. Let us draw on the strength of these examples to continue sowing seeds of holiness in our city.
All three priests were known for their advocacy for the poor, and Pope Leo’s tribute came seven years after Pope Francis made a pilgrimage to the tombs of Father Mazzolari and Father Milani (address 1, address 2).
A prolific author, Father Mazzolari (1890-1959) was the parish priest in Bozzolo; at times, he saw his works censored by the Mussolini regime or criticized by ecclesiastical authorities (Don Primo Mazzolari Foundation; 30 Days). In his tribute to Father Mazzolari, Pope Francis said, “This was the ‘parish priest of Italy.’“ The late Pontiff spoke of “the timeliness of his message, which I place against the backdrop of three scenes that filled his eyes and heart every day: the river, the farmhouse and the plain.”
A prolific author as well, Father Milani (1923-1967) was the parish priest in the hamlet of Barbiana (images). There, he founded a school whose students wrote a bestselling Letter to a Teacher that was critical of the Italian educational system. Upon his death from leukemia, the Servant of God Dorothy Day paid tribute to Milani for his advocacy on behalf of conscientious objection. Pope Francis said that Father Milani “bore witness to how, in the gift of self to Christ, one encounters brothers in their needs and serves them, so that their dignity as people is defended and promoted, with the same self-giving that Jesus showed to us unto the Cross.”
Father Luigi Di Liegro (1928-1999) was director of Caritas in the Diocese of Rome and known for his ministry to immigrants and advocacy on their behalf (1999 article). He, too, was an author, though not as prolific as the other two priests.
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