Suicide of 35-year-old priest shocks Catholic community in Italy

The suicide of a 35-year-old priest in Italy has caused consternation in the Catholic community and sparked a debate about the loneliness experienced by many members of the clergy.

Dom Matteo Balzano worked as a parish priest in Cannobio, a small town of 5 inhabitants located on the shores of Lake Maggiore, on the border with Switzerland, and took his own life last Saturday (5), when he was found dead in his home.

The main focus of his ministry was young people.

The tragedy took the Church by surprise, and Catholic sources stated that Dom Matteo had never sought help for his problems, which made many wonder about the reasons that would have led him to such an extreme gesture.

"What hurts me about Matteo's story is that when someone chooses such an extreme path, it's because they believe it's the best solution at that moment and don't consider other scenarios. The message I'd like to convey is that another option is always possible. No one should think there's no alternative," said Father Massimo Angelelli, head of health pastoral care for the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI).

Other priests also called for greater reflection on the working conditions and loneliness of priests. "We need to listen more," emphasized Franciscan Father Massimo Fusarelli, minister general of the Order of Friars Minor.

According to Angelelli, a report prepared by the CEI in 2024 showed that the social context tends to “isolate” people who “do not feel adequate to the models presented,” a problem that is more pronounced among young people.

"And religious men and women are also part of this world; they are not immune to this scenario. There is often a lack of acceptance of one's own weaknesses," he declared, adding that it is common for priests to be afraid to seek a psychologist or psychiatrist to avoid being "stigmatized." "We need to demolish the idea that we can do everything alone," he emphasized.

The funeral of Bishop Matteo was celebrated this Tuesday (8) in the Church of San Vittore, in Cannobio, by the Bishop of Novara, Franco Giulio Brambilla. “We need to take more care of the soul in everything we do, in this era in which things risk atrophying and erasing the meaning of life,” said the monsignor in his homily.

During the ceremony, a girl from the oratory where Bishop Matteo served for the past two years read a message from the young Catholics of Cannobio expressing their affection for the priest. "You appeared like a rainbow after the storm. For us, you weren't just a 'gift'; first and foremost, you were a friend," the text read.