The Italian Episcopal Conference has published the spiritual testament of Cardinal Camillo Ruini, who died on June 16 at age 95, revealing candid critiques of Pope Francis and reflections on decades of ecclesiastical leadership that shaped Italy's Catholic Church during the late 20th century. The document, penned in June 2016 but published in June 2026 following his death, exposes internal tensions within the Vatican hierarchy and offers a rare glimpse into the ideological fault lines that have marked Francis's papacy.
Understanding the Italian Church Context
For context: The Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) holds unique influence in Italian society compared to bishops' conferences in other countries. Its positions shape political debates on issues from religious education in schools to bioethics laws, making leadership tensions within the CEI particularly relevant to anyone living in Italy. Cardinal Ruini's 16-year tenure as CEI President (1991–2007) positioned him as one of the most influential religious figures in modern Italian history.
Why This Matters
• Rare episcopal criticism: A figure who led the Italian Church for two decades openly questions the current pontiff's approach to tradition and doctrinal continuity.
• Historical context: Ruini's testament bridges three papacies—John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis—illustrating the shifting theological currents in Rome.
• Liturgical friction: The criticisms echo broader debates within Italy's Catholic institutions over reforms like Amoris Laetitia (a 2016 papal exhortation that eased communion rules for divorced and remarried Catholics) and Traditionis Custodes (a 2021 decree restricting the Traditional Latin Mass, the pre-1970 Catholic liturgy in Latin).
A "Papist" with Reservations
Ruini, who served as Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome and President of the Italian Bishops' Conference (CEI) from 1991 to 2007, described himself as unwaveringly loyal to the papal office. "I have always been a 'papist,'" he wrote in the testament, emphasizing his devotion to the Holy See. When Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected in March 2013, Ruini claimed he "rejoiced" and immediately positioned himself as a supporter.
Yet within three years, disillusionment had set in. "I must confess that I find myself in a situation of unease—not for personal reasons, but because I struggle to understand certain orientations that seem to reopen wounds that were barely healed after the Council," Ruini wrote. The reference is to the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), whose reforms sparked decades of internal conflict between progressive and traditionalist factions. Ruini belonged to a generation of clerics—alongside John Paul II and Benedict XVI—who sought to distinguish the Council's authentic teachings from what they viewed as "post-conciliar turbulence."
The Weight of Tradition
In a February 2026 interview, just months before his death, Ruini amplified these concerns. He argued that Pope Francis paid "too little heed to tradition" and was "perhaps more loved by non-believers than believers." The critique centered on Francis's perceived departure from the so-called "non-negotiable values"—a doctrinal framework Ruini championed during his tenure, encompassing opposition to abortion, euthanasia, and same-sex marriage.
Ruini's unease reflected broader conservative resistance to Franciscan reforms. The Amoris Laetitia exhortation (2016), which opened pathways for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive communion under certain conditions, was seen by critics as undermining sacramental discipline. Later, the Traditionis Custodes decree (2021) severely restricted the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass, reversing Benedict XVI's liberalization and provoking outrage among liturgical traditionalists in Italy and beyond.
Ruini's testament hinted that he viewed these reforms as symptomatic of a deeper crisis—one in which the Church risked compromising doctrinal clarity in pursuit of pastoral flexibility. "I humbly ask the Lord to convince me interiorly that the Church is His, and that He Himself cares for it, beyond our human perspectives," he wrote, a plea that revealed both spiritual struggle and institutional anxiety.
Welcoming Leone XIV
Ruini's final public statements suggested he saw hope in the May 2025 election of Pope Leone XIV, the American cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who became the 267th pontiff and the first U.S. citizen to hold the office. In interviews conducted in his final year, Ruini praised Leone XIV as a potential bridge-builder, a figure who could "mend the tears" of the Bergoglio era.
Leone XIV's theological profile is nuanced. While he shares Francis's commitment to migrant rights, climate action, and economic justice, he is considered more conservative on issues like LGBTQ+ inclusion and the ordination of women. For Ruini, this balance suggested a return to the "Christocentrism" he championed—a theology rooted in Christ's person and teachings, which he believed was the authentic core of Vatican II.
What This Means for Italy's Catholic Institutions
The publication of Ruini's testament carries implications for Italy's ecclesiastical landscape, where the cardinal's influence endures. His "Cultural Project" for the Italian Church, launched in the 1990s, aimed to ensure Catholic thought remained relevant in a secularizing society. That initiative shaped pastoral strategies, educational curricula, and political engagement for decades.
The document's release comes as synodality—Francis's emphasis on collaborative decision-making and lay participation—faces uneven reception among Italy's clergy. Some dioceses have embraced the model; others remain skeptical, viewing it as theologically ambiguous or impractical. Ruini's critique provides intellectual ammunition for those resisting Franciscan reforms, framing resistance not as reactionary stubbornness but as fidelity to conciliar orthodoxy.
Practical Implications for Catholics in Italy
For Catholics living in Italy, these theological tensions may manifest differently across dioceses. Some bishops aligned with Ruini's traditionalist approach may resist synodal reforms or maintain access to the Traditional Latin Mass, while others embrace Franciscan changes—meaning your local parish experience may vary significantly depending on your diocese's leadership. Religious education curricula, parish programming, and even the availability of different liturgical forms could differ substantially between dioceses, making Ruini's legacy particularly relevant to daily Catholic life in Italy.
Reckoning and Reconciliation
Ruini's testament also includes moments of self-examination. Reflecting on his leadership at the Rome Vicariate and the CEI, he acknowledged using "substantial harshness" beneath "mostly—not always—polite forms." He asked forgiveness from "all persons, living and deceased, to whom I caused pain," a rare public confession from a figure often characterized as iron-willed.
This dual posture—assertive ideological defense coupled with personal contrition—mirrors the broader tensions within post-conciliar Catholicism. Ruini embodied a generation that believed the Church could engage modernity without surrendering doctrinal identity, a conviction increasingly challenged by Francis's pastoral pragmatism.
The Return Home
Following a memorial Mass on June 22 at the Cathedral of Reggio Emilia—the diocese where Ruini was ordained—his remains were interred in the family tomb at the Dinazzano Cemetery. Bishop Giacomo Morandi of Reggio Emilia described the burial as a homecoming: "After so much distance from the diocese, traveling the world, even accompanying the Holy Father, don Camillo, as everyone calls him here, returns to the Church that generated him in the faith."
On June 24, a second memorial Mass will be celebrated at the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano in Rome, presided over by Cardinal Vicar Baldo Reina. The dual ceremonies underscore Ruini's bifurcated legacy—rooted in provincial Italy yet profoundly entangled with the Vatican's global machinery.
A Testament to Division
Ruini's spiritual testament ultimately functions as a historical artifact, documenting the internal fractures that have defined the Church under Francis. For admirers, Ruini represented principled resistance to doctrinal drift; for critics, his stance exemplified the rigidity Francis sought to overcome. The cardinal's death closes a chapter in Italian Catholicism, but the questions his testament raises—about tradition, authority, and the pace of reform—remain unresolved as the Church navigates an uncertain future under Leone XIV.
