Pope Leo XIV calls Diocese of Rome to pastoral evaluation

Pope Leo XIV has called for a shared pastoral evaluation process within the Diocese of Rome to help the Church focus on quality over quantity. Speaking at the opening of the new pastoral year on September 18 at the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, the Pope told representatives from all 134 Roman parishes that the goal is to do less, but better.

The Pope described this method as pastoral discernment, which involves seeking the truth and assessing whether current activities have drifted from the mission to facilitate encounters with Christ. He noted that while many parish communities, associations, and movements work in evangelization and charity, the multiplication of activities can sometimes cause the evangelical meaning of their work to be lost.

The evaluation process is intended to focus on encounters with Christ, community, and service to the city. Pope Leo XIV stated that this process does not require more work, but rather aims to improve the quality of existing efforts.