Overview
- The Vatican confirmed that Cardinal Camillo Ruini died on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at age 95 and Pope Leo XIV sent a telegram offering condolences and praise for his service.
- A funeral Mass has been scheduled for Thursday, June 18 at 4:30 p.m. at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica, according to Vatican announcements.
- Ruini served for decades in senior roles including Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome, Archpriest of the Lateran and long‑time president and leader within the Italian Bishops’ Conference.
- His health had declined in recent years after a July 2024 heart attack and kidney failure in 2025, and he required daily care at home before his death.
- Ruini is remembered for shaping the Italian Church’s public posture through media engagement and conservative interventions—notably urging abstention in the 2005 referendum—and his February 2026 interview renewed debate about papal leadership while underscoring a generational shift in Church influence.