Cardinal, in address to Pontiff, outlines challenges facing Diocese of Rome
September 23, 2025
» Continue to this story on Diocese of Rome (Italian)
CWN Editor's Note: In an address to Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general for the Diocese of Rome, outlined the problems facing the diocese.
“We feel dismayed not only by the many war scenarios that bloody our world but also by the many situations of suffering in Rome,” Cardinal Reina said on September 19, as the diocese opened its pastoral year. He listed the challenges facing the diocese: the distancing of young people from parishes, growing inequality and poverty, suburban crime, a housing crisis, and inadequate access to care for the poor and elderly.
Cardinal Reina also referred to “a time that was not easy for our Diocese, marked by changes that led to fatigue and not a few misunderstandings”—a likely reference to the turmoil that followed structural and personnel changes made by Pope Francis.
“In the face of all this, we still hear the answer indicated by the Master to the disciples who asked to send away the hungry and tired crowds: ‘Give them something to eat yourselves,’” said Cardinal Reina. “We have the duty to put this command into practice.”
The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
