Summary
Pope Francis’s successor, Pope Leo XIV, finds himself in a challenging position as the Catholic Church is currently undergoing significant changes. This was expressed by Polish Jesuit Br. Damian Wojciechowski in an article on the website “Opoka,” funded by the Polish Bishops’ Conference (KEP). Wojciechowski warns that should Pope Leo endorse granting society authority over bishops, it could lead to a similar practice of consecrating women by German bishops. Wojciechowski mentions two key issues troubling the Church under Pope Francis’s leadership. First, the Italian Episcopate has persistently pursued the question of female diaconates despite Vatican decisions against such practices. In October 2023, they released another document examining this issue more thoroughly. Secondly, in September 2023, an LGBT-Jubilee pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Basilica was organized by Pope Francis. This led some German bishops to hold a Mass for the event at the Jesuit church Il Gesù, during which Bishop Francesco Savino praised Pope Leo XIV and announced that he had consulted with him about the matter. The next day, Pater James Martin, an American Jesuit priest known as the “LGBT Patriarch,” joined Leo XIV in audience. Wojciechowski also notes that German bishops have already agreed to allow laity to lead the Church under the Synodal process initiated by Pope Francis. Only a few German bishops have announced their intention not to adhere to these guidelines and, for example, allow laypersons to take charge of church leadership.
Key Topics
Leo XIV, Piusbruderschaft, Wojciechowski
