Italian Bishops Conference (CEI) President cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna on Monday voiced concern about the "resilience" of Italy's 'country system' amid various crises.
"There is concern about the resilience of the country system, particularly in those areas that have been struggling for some time now with the economic and social crisis, depopulation and the lack of services," said Zuppi in opening the work of the CEI's Permanent Council.
"An institutional framework that can foster unitary development, according to the principles of solidarity, subsidiarity and social cohesion, must not be lost.
"On this front, our attention has been constant and will remain vigilant, in the knowledge that the country will not grow if nottogether'.
Zuppi also said a climate of trust in the Catholic Church must be restored.
He said "We need to recompose a climate of trust and hope in ourChurch, free ourselves from bitterness and make it a commitment, a project, an experience.
"The Church can and must be, living in this way, a sign of hope in Italian society.
"People talk and write about the Church, the Church in Italy, its future, its difficulties, its problems", such as the "diminished relevance and consistency of the Church.
"For some it is evidence of wrong choices, for others the effect of choices not made, for others still the anguished observation of choices to be made.
"The debate does not frighten us".
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