VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, former president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI), had said that both the new and old forms of the Roman Rite can serve “the good of souls” if they are not turned into “banners” of division.

On July 8, Rome-based outlet AdVaticanum published an exclusive interview with the Italian cardinal Bagnasco, who has called for the Church to respect legitimate attachment to both “the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Roman Rite,” while also reflecting on “priestly vocations … youth ministry,” and the family.

“The document of Benedict XVI, Summorum Pontificum, does not create a new liturgical rite, but recognizes, within the one Roman Rite, an ordinary form and an extraordinary form. The latter is linked to certain conditions. If, in this area, differences do not become absolutes, banners, or parties, then why not? The good of souls is the mission of the Church,” Bagnasco said.

Bagnasco – former archbishop of Genoa, Italy, who led the CEI from 2007 to 2017 – discussed a wide range of pastoral questions drawn from his six decades of priestly ministry.

Addressing the liturgy, Bagnasco argued that legitimate liturgical preferences should not become a source of conflict within the Church. The cardinal framed his remarks within a broader reflection on the spiritual condition of contemporary society, stating that, despite widespread secularism, the desire for God remains present in the human heart.

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According to Bagnasco, “indifference, sooner or later, turns into a need, and this becomes the presence of a ‘beyond’ that has revealed itself in Jesus.”

Reflecting on pastoral ministry, Bagnasco said priests and bishops must remain close to the faithful without losing sight of their mission to lead people to Christ. He stressed that pastoral work cannot be reduced to programs or conferences, arguing instead that “prayer and closeness” are indispensable if souls are to encounter Christ through the ministry of the Church.

Speaking about evangelizing young people, the cardinal said that priests must present both “the love and the truth of God.” He maintained that young people seek meaning and need to discover the deeper questions of human existence, questions that can be obscured by the distractions of modern life. In his view, helping young people recover those questions opens the way to a genuine spiritual relationship with Christ.

When asked about the Traditional Mass, the interest it arouses especially among younger Catholics, and the ways in which the Church today can “best welcome and integrate” attachment to the Traditional liturgy, Bagnasco replied that, “In the Catholic Church there are many rites: in Milan, for example, there is the Ambrosian Rite.” He specified that “the unity of faith is not in question, but rather legitimate personal sensibilities.”

On family life, Bagnasco described the family as the “stable and permanent union” of a man and a woman, consecrated by the sacrament of marriage for the faithful, and identified it as the fundamental unit of society.

Citing Cicero’s description of the family as “the first form of society,” he said it serves as the “natural home of life, the primary educator of children, and a school of virtue and relationships.” He also stated that governments should “commit [themselves] to supporting it economically and defending it culturally. It is therefore an incomparable and indispensable institution.”

“Today, instead, there is a systematic desire to expand and dilute its meaning, as with every point of reference. The goal is to leave the younger generations confused in order to manipulate them for the sake of power and profit,” Bagnasco lamented.

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Turning to priestly vocations, Bagnasco said he sees encouraging signs both in Italy and elsewhere in Europe. He attributed vocations to God’s continuing “call” and suggested that modern society often struggles to hear that call because it lacks reflection.

“We have become somewhat deaf, lacking silence and reflection on what truly matters: the will of the Lord, His faithful closeness, and His voice. We must create and offer times and places of prayer and silence – experiences that I see attracting many young people,” Bagnasco stated.

He also urged adults to trust younger generations without resorting to flattery. According to the cardinal, many young people have expressed to him their desire for demanding and worthwhile ideals. “Mediocrity does not fascinate them.”

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