Summary
Father Leonardo Pompei, a parish priest in Sermoneta, Italy, announced he no longer felt in communion with both his diocesan bishop and ecclesiastical hierarchy. On August 29, Father Pompei wrote to Bishop Mariano Crociata requesting suspension due to violations of the September 2 decree by Fr. Crociata. The decree ordered Fr. Pompei not to convene any parish meetings or activities on social media. However, on September 3, Fr. Pompei held an online meeting for anyone able to connect remotely, which violated the penal precept imposed by Bishop Crociata on September 2. Consequently, Fr. Crociata suspended Fr. Pompei from all ecclesiastical functions and granted him dispensation from wearing religious attire. Fr. Pompei did not contest these decisions but declared himself a schismatic in his subsequent public statements, aligning with the Church’s view of schism as one of the gravest sins, often considered equal to or worse than heresy.
Key Topics
Sermoneta, Bishop Crociata, Schismatic
