Overview
- He told the Italian bishops in a closed Porziuncola meeting to honor the retirement norm at 75, allowing only cardinals up to two extra years by exception.
- He urged continuing the consolidation of smaller dioceses, warning against backtracking and bureaucratic inertia that slows needed changes.
- He called for wider, synodal consultation in episcopal nominations, with closer coordination between the Dicastery for Bishops and the apostolic nunciature.
- He pressed for unity and a Church present among the people, promoted an integral humanism, and reinforced prevention and care regarding abuse of minors and vulnerable adults.
- He began the trip with a silent prayer for peace at St. Francis’s tomb, celebrated Mass and lunched with Augustinian nuns in Montefalco, and said he will return in 2026 for the saint’s 800th anniversary.