At the service of the Italian Church: Piedmont and Lombardy

The sixteen regional jurisdictions which make up the Italian Bishops' Conference have started to meet, one by one, with Pope Francis and the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia.

The last time the Italian bishops met the Holy Father was in 2013. From January onwards, they will be returning to renew the appointment – that all bishops around the world have every five years – with the Pontiff and the offices of the Roman Curia to report on the progress of their dioceses for guidance and answers.

The first two groups were from Piedmont and Lombardy. Both presented the framework by which they operate and “do mission”.

While there is always a need for a renewed formation of the laity, they remain – as is the Italian tradition – a considerable resource not only for the formation of children, young people and families, but also for involvement in society and the world of work.

In some dioceses, especially in Lombardy, the transversality of pastoral family work is a consolidated reality: pastoral family work involves collaboration between pastoral youth work, vocational pastoral work, the catechetical office, and the communications office. It also encompasses the view that integrated pastoral work makes every community a “family of families”, attentive to all and eager to live the Gospel in changing contexts.