Dicastery staff in Rome held an “Intensive Week” of dialogue, formation, and planning focused on internal communication, accompaniment, and mission.
Newsroom (11/05/2026 Gaudium Press ) Employees, collaborators, volunteers, and interns of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development gathered in Rome from April 23 to 30 for an “Intensive Week” designed to share ideas, strengthen internal cohesion, and propose new initiatives. The program, based mainly at the Dicastery’s headquarters in the Palazzo San Calisto, also included participation from staff working abroad, described as the “diaspora.”
Cardinal Michael Czerny, the Dicastery’s Prefect, said the initiative is meant to support “the mission of the Pope and the Bishops throughout the world.” He framed the week around three goals: re-reading the Dicastery’s mission in the present moment, improving internal communication, and reinforcing ties between headquarters and overseas collaborators.
Listening before setting priorities
Czerny stressed that the Dicastery does not impose priorities from above. Instead, it listens to local Churches and accompanies them as they address obstacles to integral human development in their own contexts. That approach, he said, is central to the Dicastery’s way of working and to the logic of pastoral service.
Sr. Alessandra Smerilli, the Dicastery’s Secretary, described the week as a pause from routine intended to “restore energy.” She highlighted “knowledge” as the guiding word for the gathering, presenting it as a way to deepen understanding across offices, roles, and regions.
Monsignor Jozef Barlaš, the Undersecretary, said the diaspora should be understood not only as a logistical reality but as a sign of a Church present in every corner of the world. His remarks underscored the gathering’s broader purpose: building unity across geography while preserving the diversity of local experience.
Formation and dialogue
The opening assembly in the Văn Thuận Hall set the tone with a lively atmosphere shaped by varied origins, ages, languages, and responsibilities. At the end of the session, Czerny thanked the Dicastery’s main sectors: Listening and Dialogue, Research and Reflection, Communication and Outreach, Secretariat and Services, and Administration and Planning.
One of the formation sessions focused on ongoing accompaniment processes and was led by Cardinal Undersecretary Fabio Baggio. His message was clear: the aim is not to organize events for their own sake, but to accompany processes that can produce concrete pastoral outcomes and leave a lasting mark in local Churches.
The week also included an external perspective from Dr. Pasquale Ferrara, Secretary General of the European University Institute in Florence. He offered reflections on a world order strained by conflict and shaped by economic interests, adding a wider geopolitical frame to the Dicastery’s internal discussions.
Internal communication work
A major portion of the week was devoted to improving internal communication, continuing a project launched in 2024. Sr. Smerilli introduced the session by emphasizing the importance of healthy relationships in daily work, suggesting that organizational effectiveness depends as much on trust and clarity as on procedure.
Participants were divided into seven groups and worked on issues identified during the process, including the effectiveness of meetings, coordination between offices, and the management of information flows. They then presented their observations and practical proposals, turning reflection into operational planning.
Borgo Laudato Si’ visit
On April 28, the group met in Castel Gandolfo at the Borgo Laudato Si’. The day began with the Eucharist using the new formulary “pro custodia creationis,” celebrated by Archbishop Vittorio Francesco Viola near the statue of the Madonna in the garden.
Cardinal Baggio then offered an update on the development of the Laudato Si’ Centre for Higher Education. Czerny followed with a meditation based on Synod Study Group 2’s document, “To Hear the Cry of the Poor and the Earth,” emphasizing the poor as active protagonists rather than passive recipients.
The day concluded with a team-building session led by an expert, linking ecological reflection, institutional formation, and practical collaboration within the Dicastery’s broader mission.
Closing appeal from Czerny
In the final assembly, Czerny urged participants to remain attentive and supportive amid disasters affecting different regions of the world. He also pointed toward new forms of cooperation with the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, suggesting a future marked by closer coordination across Vatican offices.
He recalled Pope Leo XIV’s words at the Catholic University of Central Africa during the Apostolic Journey to Cameroon: “No society, in fact, can flourish unless it is grounded in upright consciences.” Czerny presented that message as both an encouragement and a challenge for daily pastoral service.
In his closing vision, the Dicastery’s work was framed as part of a larger call to sustain “upright consciences” and “holy restlessness” in a digital age marked by constant noise and competing claims. The underlying goal, he said, is nothing less than promoting “life in abundance.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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