Pope Leo XIV tells diocesan leaders to do less, do it better

Pope Leo XIV told clergy and lay leaders in the Diocese of Rome that they have permission to do less work if it allows them to perform their pastoral duties better. Speaking at a diocesan assembly on Sept. 18 at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the pope encouraged a process of discernment and evaluation to help the local Church face the truth about its current activities and motivations.

The assembly included hundreds of leaders representing 334 parishes and various ministries. The pope described a method for this evaluation that involves recognizing what has been successful and understanding why certain efforts did not work. He urged leaders to ask what needs they are addressing and how their choices align with the mission of the Church.

This multiyear process is intended to help leaders decide which activities to maintain, value, correct, abandon, or start. The goal is to create pastoral actions that are more responsive to the needs of people in Rome while providing more creative and liberating work for priests and pastoral leaders.