Dear brothers in the episcopate, good morning!

I warmly thank the Cardinal President for the words of greeting he addressed to me, and for the invitation to be with you to conclude the 81st General Assembly. I am happy to make my first stop, albeit a very brief one, in Assisi, a place of great significance for the message of faith, fraternity and peace that it conveys, which the world urgently needs.

Here Saint Francis received from the Lord the revelation of having to “live according to the Holy Gospel” (2 Test 14: FS 116). Indeed, Christ, “being rich above all, willed, nevertheless, with His most Blessed Mother, to choose poverty” (2Lf 5: FS 182).

The first thing we too are called upon to do is to look at Jesus. The reason for our being here, in fact, is faith in Him, crucified and risen. As I said to you in June, at this time there is a need, more than ever before, for “placing Jesus Christ at the centre and, following the path indicated by Evangelii gaudium, helping people to live out a personal relationship with Him, to discover the joy of the Gospel. In a time of great fragmentation, it is necessary to return to the foundation of our faith, to the kerygma” (Address to Bishops of the Italian Episcopal Conference, 17 June 2025). And this applies first of all to us: to start afresh from the act of faith that makes us recognize Christ as the Saviour and which is expressed in all areas of daily life.

Keeping our gaze fixed on the face of Jesus enables us to look at the faces of our brothers and sisters. It is his love that draws us to them (cf. 2 Cor 5:14). And faith in Him, our peace (cf. Eph 2:14), requires us to offer everyone the gift of his peace. We live in a time marked by divisions, both nationally and internationally: messages and language of hostility and violence are often spread; the race for efficiency leaves the most fragile behind; technological omnipotence compresses freedom; loneliness consumes hope, while numerous uncertainties weigh heavily on our future. Yet the Word and the Spirit still urge us to be artisans of friendship, fraternity, authentic relationships in our communities, where, without reticence and fear, we must listen to and harmonize tensions, developing a culture of encounter and thus becoming prophets of peace for the world. When the Risen One appears to the disciples, his first words are “Peace be with you” (Jn 20:19,21). And He immediately sends them forth, as the Father had sent Him (v. 21): the paschal gift is for them, but so that it might be for all!

Dear friends, in our previous meeting I indicated some guidelines for being a Church that embodies the Gospel and is a sign of the Kingdom of God: proclaiming the Message of salvation, building peace, promoting human dignity, cultivating a culture of dialogue, and fostering a Christian anthropological vision. Today I would like to emphasize that these guidelines correspond to the perspectives that emerged during the synodal journey of the Church in Italy. It is now up to you, Bishops, to outline the pastoral guidelines for the coming years, so I would like to offer you some reflections so that a truly synodal spirit may grow and mature in the Churches and among the Churches of our country.

First of all, let us not forget that synodality implies “the walking together of Christians with Christ and towards God’s Kingdom, in union with all humanity” (Final Document of the Second Session of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, 28). From the Lord we receive the grace of communion which inspires and shapes our human and ecclesial relationships.

I would like everyone to commit themselves to the challenge of effective communion, so that the face of a collegial Church, which shares common steps and choices, may take shape. In this sense, the challenges of evangelization and the changes of recent decades, which affect the demographic, cultural and ecclesial spheres, ask us not to withdraw on the issue of diocesan mergers, especially where the demands of Christian proclamation invite us to overcome certain territorial boundaries and make our religious and ecclesial identities more open, learning to work together and rethink pastoral action by joining forces. At the same time, looking at the features of the Church in Italy, embodied in the various territories, and considering the effort and at times the disorientation that such choices may cause, I hope that the Bishops of every Region will discern carefully and, perhaps, be able to suggest realistic proposals for some of the small dioceses that have scant human resources, to evaluate whether and how they could continue to offer their service.

What counts is that, in this synodal style, we learn to work together, and that in the particular Churches we all make an effort to build open, hospitable and welcoming Christian communities in which relationships are translated into mutual responsibility for the proclamation of the Gospel.

Synodality, which implies an effective exercise of collegiality, requires not only communion among yourselves and with me, but also attentive listening and serious discernment of the requests that come from the people of God. In this regard, coordination between the Dicastery for Bishops and the Apostolic Nunciature, for the purposes of shared responsibility, must be able to promote greater participation of people in the consultation for the appointment of new bishops, in addition to listening to the Ordinaries in charge of the local Churches and those who are preparing to end their service.

Also regarding this latter aspect, I would like to offer you some guidance. A synodal Church, which walks the path traced by history while confronting the emerging challenges of evangelization, needs to renew herself continually. We must avoid allowing inertia, even when motivated by good intentions, to slow down the necessary changes. In this regard, we must all cultivate the inner attitude that Pope Francis has defined as “learning to say goodbye”, a valuable attitude when preparing to leave one’s position. It is good to respect the rule of 75 years for the conclusion of the service of Ordinaries in dioceses and, only in the case of Cardinals, may a continuation of ministry be considered, possibly for another two years.

Dear brothers, returning to the perspective of the Church’s mission in Italy, I urge you to remember the path travelled since the Second Vatican Council, marked by national ecclesial conferences. I urge you to ensure that your diocesan and parish communities do not lose their memory, but keep it alive, because this is essential in the Church: to remember the journey that the Lord leads us on through time in the desert (cf. Dt 8).

From this perspective, the Church in Italy can and must continue to promote an integral humanism, which helps and supports the existential journeys of individuals and society; a sense of humanity that exalts the value of life and care for every creature, that intervenes prophetically in public debate to spread a culture of legality and solidarity.

In this context, the challenge posed to us by the digital universe must not be forgotten. Pastoral care cannot limit itself to “using” the media, but must educate and dwell the digital world in a human way, without losing sight of the truth behind the multiplication of connections, so that the internet can truly be a space of freedom, responsibility and fraternity.

Walking together, walking with everyone, also means being a Church that lives among the people, welcomes their questions, soothes their sufferings and shares their hopes. Continue to be close to families, young people, the elderly and those who live in solitude. Continue to devote yourselves to the care of the poor: Christian communities rooted throughout the territory, the many pastoral workers and volunteers, and the diocesan and parish Caritas organizations are already doing a great job in this regard, and I am grateful to you.

In this same line of care, I would also like to recommend attention to the smallest and most vulnerable, so that a culture of prevention of all forms of abuse may also develop. Welcoming and listening to victims is the authentic trait of a Church who, in communal conversion, knows how to recognize wounds and is committed to healing them, because “where pain is deep, the hope that comes from communion must be even stronger” (Vigil of the Jubilee of Consolation, 15 September 2025). I thank you for what you have already done and encourage you to continue your commitment to the protection of minors and vulnerable adults.

Dear brothers, in this place Saint Francis and the first friars fully lived what we would call today a “synodal style”. Together, in fact, they shared the different stages of their journey; together they went to Pope Innocent III; together, year after year, they perfected and enriched the initial text that had been presented to the Pontiff, composed, according to Thomas of Celano, “mainly of expressions from the Gospel” (1Cel 32: FS 372), until it became what we know today as the first Rule. This conscious choice of fraternity, which is at the heart of the Franciscan charism together with minority, was inspired by an intrepid and persistent faith.

May the example of Saint Francis give you too the strength to make choices inspired by an authentic faith and to be, as a Church, a sign and witness of the Kingdom of God in the world. Thank you!

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 20 November 2025