Cardinal Camillo Ruini, one of the most influential figures in the Italian Church of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, has died in Rome at the age of 95.

The former Cardinal Vicar of Rome and president of the Italian bishops’ conference died on the evening of June 16. He had been hospitalised last September with kidney problems and, after a period of recovery, saw his condition deteriorate in recent weeks. He chose to remain at home under medical care.

Born in Sassuolo in 1931, Ruini served as Cardinal Ruini served as cardinal vicar of Rome from 1991 to 2008 and led the Italian bishops’ conference from 1991 to 2007. He was a close collaborator of Pope St John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and was widely regarded as one of the leading voices of Italy’s conservative episcopate.

In a statement, the Diocese of Rome praised Ruini’s role in shaping relations between church and state and highlighted his influence on Italian public life. The diocese described him as a perceptive interpreter of social and political change who sought to defend and promote the Catholic Church’s moral and cultural inheritance.

Ruini was known for his outspoken defence of what he called the Church’s “non-negotiable values”, particularly on issues such as abortion and euthanasia. He was also considered an influential figure in Italian politics and maintained well-known ties with former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.

In recent months, he had expressed support for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, describing his opinion of her as “decidedly positive”, both politically and personally, in an interview marking his 95th birthday.

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