Cardinal Ruini Outlines Four Key Criteria for Next Papal Conclave

Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the Italian prelate who led the Vatican commission investigating the alleged apparitions at Medjugorje, has put forward four key principles he believes should guide the next papal conclave.

In a recent article titled “Prayer for the Church of the Near Future”, published on the blog Settimo Cielo by veteran Vatican journalist Sandro Magister, the 94-year-old cardinal—no longer eligible to vote in the conclave—shared his vision for the Church under the next pope.

“I trust in a good and charitable Church, doctrinally secure, governed according to law, and deeply united internally,” Ruini wrote. “These are my prayer intentions, which I would like to see widely shared.”

A longtime collaborator of St. John Paul II, Ruini served as president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (1991–2007) and as vicar general of the Diocese of Rome (1991–2008). He participated in the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI and later chaired the Medjugorje Commission, whose final report was submitted in 2014. In 2024, the Vatican formally recognised the spiritual experience of Medjugorje while stopping short of affirming its supernatural origin.

Ruini’s first point calls for a good and charitable Church, noting that “love made effective in our lives is the supreme law of Christian witness.” He urged Church leadership to eliminate “useless harshness, pettiness, and dryness of heart.”

Next, he emphasised the need for doctrinal security, echoing Benedict XVI’s warning that “faith today is a flame that threatens to go out.” Ruini argued that rekindling faith requires both intellectual rigour and spiritual conviction, cautioning that doctrinal uncertainty exacts a heavy toll on clergy and laity alike.

Addressing governance, Ruini called for a Church governed according to law, noting that Benedict XVI’s papacy was hampered by limited administrative effectiveness. He stressed that ecclesiastical governance must be grounded in love while respecting legal structures.

Finally, he highlighted the importance of a united Church, expressing concern about recent threats to ecclesial unity. He called for renewed mutual charity and awareness of the Church’s rules and traditions.

“At 94 years of age, silence is more appropriate than words,” he concluded. “I hope, however, that these lines of mine are a small fruit of the love I have for the Church.”

Courtesy: CNA News

Image credits: CNA News