Italian American Leaders Strengthen Vatican Ties in Meeting with Pope Leo XIV

Nonprofit delegation advances emerging relationship between Italian American institutions and the Holy See.

VATICAN CITY, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hon. Basil M. Russo, who presides over the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO), led a delegation to Rome this past week to meet with Pope Leo XIV and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

"Our Catholic faith is deeply woven into the Italian American experience and remains one of the strongest bonds connecting our community across generations," said Russo. "This visit gave COPOMIAO an extraordinary opportunity to ensure our relationship with the Vatican continues to grow with purpose."

Discussions during the visit centered on preserving Catholic traditions, engaging younger generations and expanding cooperation between Italian American institutions and the Holy See.

Millions of Italian Americans are Catholic, and that spiritual inheritance remains visible in communities throughout the United States.

Each year, Italian American religious feasts honoring patron saints draw millions of people to churches, processions and neighborhoods nationwide. Many of these century-old traditions are organized and preserved by COPOMIAO leaders, who help carry the community's faith and culture forward.

The September mission built upon COPOMIAO's landmark visit to Rome and Vatican City in 2022, when Russo led a delegation that met with Pope Francis, Cardinal Parolin, Italian government officials and members of Italy's Supreme Court.

That first-of-its-kind summit advanced cultural and religious initiatives while laying the foundation for stronger institutional ties among the United States, Italy and the Vatican.

"In recent years, COPOMIAO has united hundreds of organizations around a shared mission to preserve and promote our history, traditions and values," Russo said. "Our growing relationship with the Vatican brings an essential spiritual dimension to that work and helps carry our community's journey full-circle."

The audience with Pope Leo XIV marked another defining chapter in that mission, one rooted in a commitment to preserving the spiritual inheritance of generations past and generations yet to come.

ABOUT COPOMIAO

The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO), founded in New York City in 1975, is a national nonprofit coalition of 77 cultural, educational, fraternal and anti-defamation groups. Contact us. 

SOURCE The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations