Pope Leo XIV Tells Religious Superiors "Fidelity to the Church directs and illuminates the involvement of brothers and sisters and nourishes their co-responsibility"


The Pope received in audience the participants in the 65th General Assembly of the Italian Conference of Major Superiors (CISM).
ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE 65TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE
ITALIAN CONFERENCE OF MAJOR SUPERIORS (CISM)
in the Vatican's Clementine Hall on Friday, November 7, 2025
____________________________________

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you!
Good morning everyone, and welcome! There's more enthusiasm here than on Youth Day! It means you're all young!
A warm greeting to all of you, participants in the 65th General Assembly of the Italian Conference of Major Superiors.
The theme you have chosen is Governing Hope: Forms and Styles of Provincial Governance in a Synodal Church . This is a challenging perspective, reflecting the richness of the time of grace the Church is experiencing, as well as its complexity.

The community of believers has never shied away from the stimuli and challenges of the times and places in which it has lived, and today it wishes to continue to do so with confidence and generosity, bringing Christ's message to every sphere of society and every part of the world. In this endeavor, the presence of religious has always been significant and providential, as a leaven, prophecy, and strength for the entire People of God (cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium , 44). And the theme you have proposed confirms your fidelity to this role, particularly within the framework of the journey of "synodal conversion" we have experienced in recent years.

The Final Document of the last Synod, in this regard, noted that it is characteristic of religious families to have, over the centuries, "matured proven practices of synodal life and community discernment, learning to harmonize individual gifts and the common mission" ( Final Document , 26 October 2024, 65). Synodality, intrinsic to the life of the Church (cf. Francis, Address to the Faithful of the Diocese of Rome , 18 September 2021), is in fact even more specific to your vocation, and this makes you particularly suited to contribute to the efforts that are being made throughout the world in this direction. Added to this is the value of the growing interculturality of consecrated communities, which also responds to the needs of the societies in which we live (cf. ibid . ).

The heritage formed by these resources, however, cannot be considered something defined and static: it is the fruit of a dynamism of life and faith that continually needs to evolve, grow, develop, and express itself, both in the multiplicity of charismatic contexts and in the constant novelty of situations and relationships.

This entails the need to care for them as if they were the fruit of a living organism, in need of nourishment, attention, and sometimes even healing; and the ministry of authority can contribute significantly to this, with forms and styles of "governance" suited to inspiring hope in the journey of our brothers and sisters, supporting their generous and fruitful apostolate.

In seeking guidelines to move toward this goal, we can draw on the suggestions of the aforementioned Final Document of the Synod, deducing three important attitudes: ecclesial discernment , attention to decision-making processes , and the commitment to account for one's actions and to evaluate their results and methods (cf. ibid . , 79). As the Document emphasizes, these are interconnected processes that support and correct one another. Fidelity to the Church directs and illuminates the involvement of brothers and sisters and nourishes their co-responsibility, ensuring transparency and facilitating that mutual openness that alone can foster everyone's cooperation. Moreover, sincere discussion, sharing, and fraternal correction can greatly help avoid and counteract any particularistic and self-referential tendencies (cf. Francis, Address to the Diocesan Representatives of the Italian Synodal Path , 25 May 2023). Ultimately, it is a path of purification aimed at making individuals and communities increasingly free to do good, both in terms of personal growth and the exercise of charity. This clearly also fosters a renewed charismatic fidelity, which requires a constant shedding of structures and attachments that are nonessential, or even harmful to the full implementation of the original mission inspired by the founders in today's world.

And to this end, I would like to emphasize, in particular, the importance of encouraging, in forms of governance, a fruitful rotation of responsibilities and roles, avoiding static attitudes that risk fostering rigidity and sclerosis. In this regard, Pope Francis has repeatedly warned us of the danger of "stagnant waters."

St. Augustine, in his Soliloquies , asks: "Why do you want those dear to you to live and coexist with you?", and follows with this beautiful answer: "So that we can jointly investigate our souls and God. Thus, whoever first solves the problem will easily lead others to the same conclusion" (I, 12.20). This seems to me to be a very significant thought for us too, particularly in reference to the synodal dimension of the responsibility we are given towards our brothers.

Dearest ones, I thank you for the faithfulness with which you carry out your challenging task. I accompany you with my prayers and bless you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. 

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