Cardinal Zuppi opens Italian Bishops’ Assembly in Assisi, calling for renewed peace push in Ukraine and defense of marginalized ahead of Pope Leo XIV visit.
Newsroom (18/11/2025 Gaudium Press ) As Italy’s Catholic bishops gathered in this historic hill town for their 81st General Assembly, Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI), issued a forceful appeal on Monday for renewed commitment to peace in a world scarred by war and deepening social exclusion.
Delivering the opening address at the Domus Pacis conference center in Santa Maria degli Angeli, the Archbishop of Bologna described Ukraine as “martyred” and urged European Christians to play a decisive role in constructing what he called a “sustainable architecture of peace.”
“We must keep our gaze fixed on the martyred Ukraine,” Cardinal Zuppi told the assembled prelates on November 17, emphasizing that “Christian Europe has much to say and much to reflect upon” regarding the continent’s responsibility in the ongoing conflict.
The cardinal’s remarks come just days before Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to travel to Assisi on Thursday, November 20, to preside over the assembly’s closing session in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli. The pontiff is expected to meet privately with the bishops at 9:30 a.m. before delivering his address.
The four-day gathering, running through November 20, 2025, has drawn bishops from across Italy to discuss pastoral priorities, the protection of minors and vulnerable adults, and the future of Catholic education. Discussions are being shaped by conclusions from Italy’s recently completed multi-year Synodal Path, with final pastoral guidelines set for approval at the CEI’s May 2026 assembly.
Cardinal Zuppi framed the assembly against the backdrop of global crises, lamenting the exclusion of the poor, migrants, and prisoners while calling for “concrete initiatives to restore equality among all women and men today” and to “relaunch a season of rights and true justice for every people and nation.”
He advocated expanded developmental cooperation, citing existing Church-led projects in the Holy Land and Gaza, and stressed the need for stronger collaboration between Europe and Mediterranean nations.
The CEI president’s focus on Ukraine aligns with the Vatican’s sustained diplomatic efforts to broker peace in the region, now nearing the fourth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion. While not announcing new initiatives, Cardinal Zuppi reiterated the moral imperative for European churches to move beyond rhetoric toward tangible action.
The assembly concludes Thursday with Pope Leo XIV’s participation, marking a rare papal visit to the birthplace of St. Francis and underscoring the Holy See’s emphasis on peace and synodality at a time of widespread geopolitical tension.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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