The Catacombs - Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV calls Algiers mosque ‘space proper to God,’ makes silent prayer with imam

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:38:34 +0000

Pope Leo XIV calls Algiers mosque ‘space proper to God,’ makes silent prayer with imam
Pope Leo XIV touched down in Algeria on April 13, becoming the first pope ever to make an apostolic visit to the country, opening with silent prayer at the world’s third largest mosque.

Pope Leo XIV presides over the Prayer Vigil for Peace at St Peter's Basilica, on April 11, 2026, in Vatican City
Photo by Antonio Masiello/Getty Images

Apr 14, 2026
ALGIERS, Algeria (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV visited the third largest mosque in the world in Algiers, Algeria, and paused in silent prayer with the imam. During his last journey in Istanbul, he did not pray in the Blue Mosque.

On April 13, Pope Leo began his apostolic journey in Africa, with the first stop in Algeria – the first papal visit in the country’s history. During his stopover at the Mosque of Algiers, the Pope took off his shoes as required by protocol and paused in silent prayer together with Imam Mohamed Mamoun al Qasimi, showing a change of attitude compared to what he had done at the Blue Mosque in Istanbul during a prior apostolic voyage.

Pope Leo’s recent journey began with a visit to the Islamic place of worship, which ranks as the third largest mosque in the world, after those of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.

According to Vatican News, the Pope – after removing his shoes to enter, as required by protocol – remained inside for just under ten minutes, several of which were spent in “silent reflection” beside the imam and before the mihrab, the niche carved into the wall that indicates the direction of Mecca. It is toward this direction that Muslims orient themselves during prayer. According to Islamic tradition, the mihrab symbolizes the presence of God and the centrality of prayer.

Accompanying the Pope were two cardinals: George Jacob Koovakad, prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, and Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop of Algiers.

As reported by the same Vatican outlet, the Pope then withdrew for a private moment of dialogue with the rector of the mosque, where he expressed “gratitude for being in a place that represents the space proper to God.”

Although the Pope, the imam, the cameramen, and the other operators closest to him had removed their shoes, other people farther from the cameras were visibly inside the mosque wearing footwear, which makes the visit seem more like a staged media display than a sincere gesture of religious reverence.

In November 2025, during his first apostolic journey in Turkey, Pope Leo visited the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. According to several sources, he took off his shoes as required by protocol, visited the mosque in silence and with respect, but declined the imam’s invitation to join in prayer.

The Vatican had initially announced that there would be a “brief moment of silent prayer” during the Istanbul visit, but later clarified that the Pontiff had chosen to experience the visit as a moment of listening and learning, rather than formal prayer. Later, Leo XIV explained that he prefers to pray in a Catholic church, before the Blessed Sacrament, and that his gesture was not meant to be interpreted as a sign of disrespect toward Islam.

Pope Leo asks French bishops for ‘generous inclusion’ of TLM

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 11:29:33 +0000

One can't help but wonder if this encouragement for the TLM for 'diversity's' sake, doesn't also make it appear that the upcoming SSPX consecrations aren't a legitimate necessity. Same story really since Ecclesia Dei, where if the Latin and the incense and the bells are craved, a watered down indult version is provided by the Vatican II church. All the while, very liberal-progressive-modernist clergy are being actively promoted and placed in important positions throughout the Conciliar church by this same pope. Notice this 'ask' is an encouragement with words but nothing actionable is being done by the pope. But Perhaps this maneuver is intended to promote the idea that Pope Leo XIV is sympathetic to tradition while his other, more concrete actions, show the contrary. - The Catacombs

Pope Leo asks French bishops for ‘generous inclusion’ of TLM
"May the Holy Spirit suggest to you concrete solutions that will allow for the generous inclusion of those sincerely attached to the Vetus Ordo."

Pope Leo prays at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, May 20, 2025. Credit: Sipa USA/Alamy Live News.

The Pillar | Mar 25, 2026

In a message to the French bishops’ conference, Pope Leo XIV called for “concrete solutions” to permit the “generous inclusion” of Catholics attached to the Traditional Latin Mass.

A March 18 letter sent by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on behalf of Pope Leo encourages the French bishops’ conference to embrace liturgical diversity and find ways to include “those sincerely attached to the Vetus Ordo.”

It has largely been expected that Pope Leo would eventually lift restrictions on the celebration of the preconciliar liturgy, which were imposed by Pope Francis in 2021. Parolin’s letter is a clear indication that Pope Leo wishes local bishops to move quickly to that end.

The letter says that the pope is “particularly attentive” to the bishops’ discussion on the liturgy, “in the context of the growth of communities bound to the Vetus Ordo.”

“It is troubling that a painful wound concerning the celebration of Mass, the very sacrament of unity, continues to open in the Church,” the letter says.

To heal this wound, it continues, a “new perspective” is needed. The letter says a fresh perspective, “with a greater understanding of each other’s sensitivities, is certainly necessary; a perspective that can allow brothers, enriched by their diversity, to welcome one another in charity and the unity of faith.”

“May the Holy Spirit suggest to you concrete solutions that will allow for the generous inclusion of those sincerely attached to the Vetus Ordo, in accordance with the guidelines established by the Second Vatican Council regarding the Liturgy,” the letter concludes.

Read the rest of the article here.

Leo XIV Appoints Former Rothschild Director to Preside Vatican Bank

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 11:11:15 +0000

Leo XIV Appoints Former Rothschild Director to Preside Vatican Bank

gloria.tv | March 27, 2026

The Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), commonly known as the Vatican Bank, has appointed François Pauly as president of its supervisory board. The move is approved by The Cardinals' Commission, in accordance with the IOR’s statutes.

François Pauly will succeed Jean-Baptiste Douville de Franssu, who led the bank for 12 years, after the April 28 board meeting.

Pauly has worked in the European financial sector for more than three decades. He currently serves as Chairman of La Luxembourgeoise, a Luxembourg-based insurance group.

From June 2021 to 2023, Pauly held senior executive responsibilities at the Edmond de Rothschild Bank in Switzerland. He served as CEO and chaired the executive committee. In this role, he contributed to the group’s broader international activities.

This was during a time of transition for the group following Benjamin de Rothschild's death in 2021.

Pauly has prior experience with Vatican-related financial bodies. Between 2017 and 2021, he served as a member of the board of the troubled Vatican pension fund.

Pope Leo honors new female pro-abortion ‘archbishop’ of Canterbury

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 09:07:40 +0000

Pope Leo honors new female pro-abortion ‘archbishop’ of Canterbury
To pretend that this is somehow a blessed vocation and praise Mullally in it and invoke God's blessing

and the inspiration of the Blessed Virgin Mary on it is unspeakably evil.

The congregation reacts as Bishop Sarah Mullally is confirmed as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury at St Paul’s Cathedral, on January 28, 2026, in London, England
Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Mar 26, 2026
VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV has issued a congratulatory letter to Sarah Mullally – the first woman ever appointed “archbishop of Canterbury” and a vocal supporter of abortion and the LGBT agenda. In the letter, Leo praises Mullally’s “weighty” responsibilities, and explicitly invokes the Blessed Virgin Mary as a source of “inspiration” for her new role.

The March 20, 2026 message, published on the Vatican website, was released after Mullally’s installation yesterday. It makes no reference whatsoever to the Catholic Church’s perennial teaching that Anglican orders are “absolutely null and utterly void” (Apostolicae Curae, 1896), that the ordination of women is impossible and contrary to the will of Christ, or to Mullally’s own public record promoting grave moral evils of abortion and homosexual acts.

Instead, Leo XIV opens with the salutation:

“To The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally Archbishop of Canterbury”

He continues:

Quote:“I know that the office for which you have been chosen is a weighty one, with responsibilities not only in the Diocese of Canterbury, but throughout the Church of England as well as the Anglican Communion as a whole… In asking the Lord to strengthen you with the gift of wisdom, I pray that you may be guided by the Holy Spirit in serving your communities, and draw inspiration from the example of Mary, the Mother of God.”

This invocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – the Theotokos, the model of perfect obedience to God’s Will – is particularly scandalous. To hold up the Mother of God as inspiration for a woman pretending to exercise a priestly and episcopal office that the Church has always declared Christ reserved to men – not to mention for a leader who actively promotes abortion and same-sex “marriage” – is a mind-bending scandal.

Leo XIV quotes Pope Francis saying “it would be a scandal if, due to our divisions, we did not fulfil our common vocation to make Christ known.”

He adds:

Quote:Dear sister, I willingly make these words my own, for it is through the witness of a reconciled, fraternal and united Christian community that the proclamation of the Gospel will resound most clearly.

With these fraternal sentiments, I invoke upon you the blessings of Almighty God as you take up your high responsibilities. May the Holy Spirit come down upon you and make you fruitful in the Lord’s service.

Please stop. Please, please stop!

I’m sorry, my friends, that we need to keep banging this drum. But since most of the cardinals and bishops see Leo XIV as doing good for the Church, we must speak, we must point out the staggering damage he is causing to the One True Faith.

First off, Sarah Mullally, whom Leo here salutes, is explicitly pro-abortion and pro-LGBT. In a 2012 blog post, she declared herself “pro choice rather than pro life,” explaining: “I would suspect that I would describe my approach to this issue as pro choice rather than pro live [sic] although if it were a continuum I would be somewhere along it moving towards pro life when it relates to my choice and then enabling choice when it related to others.”

As “bishop” of London in 2022, she actively promoted “LGBT+ History Month” and launched a diocesan advisory group focused on “the pastoral care and inclusion of LGBT+ people in the life of our church communities.” Multiple LifeSite reports have shown her to be a “strong supporter of same-sex marriage,” a stance that has triggered massive controversy in the Church of England: conservative Global South Anglicans (representing tens of millions) have broken communion with Canterbury, and the Primate of Nigeria denounced her appointment as “devastating” and a rejection of biblical teaching.

Secondly, the Church has affirmed over and over again that women cannot be priests and that the Anglican orders are “absolutely null and utterly void.” So to pretend that this is somehow a blessed vocation and praise Mullally in it and invoke God’s blessing and the inspiration of the Blessed Virgin Mary on it is unspeakably evil. It massively confuses the faithful and goes right along with Leo’s own intervention a few months ago where he scandalously said to the Anglicans and other non-Catholic Christian leaders that “we are already one.”

The full text of the Leo’s message is available on the Vatican website.

Pray for the conversion of Leo XIV, that he may govern the Church with fidelity and stop presenting another gospel where all sects are one and which downplays the most serious violations of the moral law.

And let us pray the Rosary, the weapon given to us by Our Lady herself, for the restoration of full Catholic truth – in other words, the Triumph of Her Immaculate Heart.

Pope Leo praises Francis’ Amoris Laetitia, asks for ‘courage to persevere on this path’

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 11:33:20 +0000

Pope Leo praises Francis’ Amoris Laetitia, asks for ‘courage to persevere on this path’

'Amoris Laetitia offers valuable teachings that we must continue to examine today,' Pope Leo wrote in a message celebrating the tenth anniversary of the document.

Pope Leo XIV

Franco Origlia/Getty Images

Mar 19, 2026
VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV has praised Amoris Laetitia as a guiding text for the Church.

On March 19, Pope Leo issued a message marking the tenth anniversary of Amoris Laetitia, in which he described Francis’ post-synodal apostolic exhortation as a “luminous message of hope” and confirmed its central role in contemporary teaching on marriage and the family.

“On 19 March 2016, Pope Francis offered the universal Church a luminous message of hope regarding conjugal love and family life,” Pope Leo wrote. “On this tenth anniversary, we give thanks to the Lord for the stimulus that has encouraged reflection and pastoral conversion in the Church, and ask God for the courage to persevere on this path.”

In his message, the Pope explicitly placed Amoris Laetitia alongside Familiaris Consortio issued by John Paul II. “Since the Council, the two Apostolic Exhortations, Familiaris Consortio – issued by Saint John Paul II in 1981 – and Amoris Laetitia, have both strengthened the Church’s doctrinal and pastoral commitment to the service of young people, married couples and families.”

The comparison between John Paul II’s exhortation and Francis’ appears strongly ideological. In Familiaris Consortio, John Paul II provided pastoral guidelines regarding irregular situations. Referring to civil marriages contracted by Catholics, the Pope taught that “this situation is not acceptable to the Church” and urged bishops “to make these people understand the need for consistency between their choice of life and the faith that they profess.”

When speaking instead of couples who are separated or divorced but not remarried, the Pope called on the Church “to support such people more than ever … so that they can preserve their fidelity even in their difficult situation.” Divorced persons, in particular, “being well aware that the valid marriage bond is indissoluble, refrain from becoming involved in a new union and devote themselves solely to carrying out their family duties and the responsibilities of Christian life.”

As for divorced and remarried Catholics, John Paul II spoke explicitly of an “evil that is affecting more and more Catholics as well,” a problem that “must be faced with resolution and without delay.”

“The Church reaffirms her practice, which is based upon Sacred Scripture, of not admitting to Eucharistic Communion divorced persons who have remarried,” John Paul II wrote.

On the contrary, Amoris Laetitia says – contradicting John Paul II and many others – that “it can no longer simply be said that all those in any irregular situation are living in a state of mortal sin and are deprived of sanctifying grace. More is involved here than mere ignorance of the rule.”

This thesis is undeniably heterodox and probably – together with Dignitas infinita – the most problematic one put forward by Francis. Furthermore, Francis’ admission of the possibility of giving Communion to divorced and remarried Catholics was not only implicitly suggested in the document itself, but explicitly confirmed by Francis on September 5, 2016, in a letter responding to the bishops of the Buenos Aires pastoral region. “There are no other interpretations,” he stated.

Later, on October 2, 2023, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith answered a series of questions submitted by Cardinal Dominik Duka, confirming that Amoris Laetitia has to be considered – via a rescript of the Secretariat of State – as “authentic magisterium.” If accepted, this apostolic exhortation would place in crisis not only the Church’s perennial doctrine on Marriage, but also its teaching on the Eucharist and confession.

Pope Leo recalled Francis’ insistence on “mutual listening” within the People of God, particularly the need to engage directly with families. He also remembered that “Pope Francis affirmed the need for new pastoral methods, … overcoming a reductive conception of the norm.”

“Amoris Laetitia offers valuable teachings that we must continue to examine today,” the Pope wrote. For this reason, Leo XIV also announced that he has convened the presidents of episcopal conferences worldwide for an extraordinary meeting in October 2026 to pursue further “synodal discernment” on family issues.

“In light of the changes that continue to impact families,” Leo explained, “I have decided to convene the presidents of the Episcopal Conferences from around the world in October 2026, in an effort to proceed, in mutual listening, to a synodal discernment on the steps to be taken in order to proclaim the Gospel to families today, in light of Amoris Laetitia and taking into account what is currently being done in the local Churches.”

The text does not specify whether the participants will represent regional, national, or continental episcopal conferences – or all of these.

The decision to convene all the bishops and to discuss family pastoral care with them is in continuity with Pope Leo’s strongly collegial, almost parliamentary approach to governing the Church. Pope Leo has already announced his intention to convene regular consistories in order to discuss and decide together with the cardinals on matters such as liturgy, synodality, mission, and the nature of jurisdiction.

1995 photo shows Pope Leo XIV participating in Pachamama ritual

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 11:50:40 +0000

UNEARTHED: 1995 photo shows Pope Leo XIV participating in Pachamama ritual
Exclusive to LifeSiteNews, this explosive revelation will feature prominently in Fr. Charles Murr's forthcoming book on the new pontiff.

Fr. Robert Prevost (now Pope Leo XIV) present at a Pachamama ritual in 1995
LifeSiteNews

Mar 18, 2026
(LifeSiteNews) — In an explosive revelation that will feature prominently in his forthcoming book on the new Pontiff, Faith & Reason co-host Father Charles Murr has confirmed that Pope Leo XIV – then Father Robert Francis Prevost, OSA, actively participated in a pagan Pachamama “Mother Earth” agricultural ritual while attending an official Augustinian theological symposium.

The story was first brought to light by Fr. Murr, who has spent months meticulously compiling documentation for his upcoming book on Leo XIV. Three Augustinian priests have now independently confirmed to Fr. Murr that Robert Prevost is clearly visible among the kneeling participants in the central photograph. Although none of the three were present at the 1995 ritual itself, they immediately and unmistakably recognized their confrere from the published image.

The image appears in the official proceedings of the IV Simposio-Taller “Lectura de San Agustín desde América Latina” (São Paulo, January 23-28, 1995), published as the book Ecoteología: Una Perspectiva desde San Agustín (México, 1996). The official caption beneath the photo of kneeling participants reads:

Quote:Celebración del Rito de la pachamama (madre tierra), que es un rito agrícola ofrecido por las culturas del Sur-Andino en el Perú y Bolivia.

Celebration of the Rite of Pachamama (Mother Earth), which is an agricultural rite offered by the cultures of the South-Andean region in Peru and Bolivia.

The same volume includes a large group photograph explicitly captioned “Foto de todos los participantes del Simposio Sao Paulo Brasil,” placing the future Pope squarely among the attendees of an event that openly celebrated the Pachamama ritual as part of its “ecotheology” program.

Fr. Murr told Faith & Reason: “The man who is now Leo XIV was documented kneeling in a pagan earth goddess ritual in an official gathering of his own religious order. The implications for the direction of the Church under this pontificate are profound.”

Fr. Murr has obtained high-resolution scans of the proceedings (including the clear kneeling Pachamama photograph) from the Salesian Central Library in Buenos Aires, Argentina (stamped call number 276.04 ACU :504 / 30.161, Biblioteca Central Salesiana, No. 30161).

This Faith & Reason exclusive marks the first public presentation of evidence that will form a central chapter in Fr. Charles Murr’s forthcoming book on Pope Leo XIV.

Another image from the book shows that in addition to the Pachamama ceremony, the participants celebrated a Mass, and Prevost (Leo) can be seen standing and holding hands with other participants in the same spot where the Pachamama ritual took place.

Yet another photo from the event, showing all the participants of the symposium, also confirms Prevost’s attendance.

LifeSite confirmed the photos of Leo at the ritual were in fact him by comparing images from the same period found in the Augustinian Spanish-language magazine OALA, where he is named “Roberto Prevost.”

On the Faith & Reason episode today, Fr. Murr noted how this violates the First Commandment and how the martyrs of the Church gave their lives rather than participate even slightly in ceremonies to false gods.

The Vatican Press Office was approached for comment but has not yet responded.

Leo XIV Told Bishops: "Far-Right Ideology Biggest Threat"

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:01:00 +0000

Leo XIV Told Bishops: "Far-Right Ideology Biggest Threat"

gloria.tv | February 23, 2026

Pope Leo XIV reportedly told Spanish bishops that the rise of far-right ideology was his “greatest concern in Spain”.

According to ElPais.es on 23 February, he said this on 17 November during an audience with the executive commission of the Spanish Bishops Conference (nine prelates).

El País, citing two senior churchmen familiar with the discussion, reports that the Pope cautioned that "extremist" movements are attempting to "win the Catholic vote" and instrumentalise the Church for partisan political ends.

The paper adds that the bishops were surprised by how directly the Pope focused on the political issue of the right, rather than other concerns they had presented to him.

Following the meeting, the bishops changed their stance on stalled abuse compensation negotiations and expressed support for the government's immigration plan.

Leo Appoints a Sister to Rule Over Bishops

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:08:21 +0000

[Pope] Leo Appoints a Sister to Rule Over Bishops, While a Cardinal Says Laity Can Now Rule Over the Ordained

Meanwhile Leo XIV appoints three more terrible bishops, including one praised by a female "bishop" of the womenpriest movement

Chris Jackson via Hiraeth in Exile | Feb 18, 2026

Women in the Episcopacy? The Brambilla Appointment and Its Implications

When Sister Simona Brambilla was appointed prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life in January 2025, shockwaves rippled through Catholic media. Here was the first woman (and first non-cleric) ever to head a major Roman dicastery. In practical terms, Sr. Brambilla’s promotion means she now exercises authority over one of the largest departments in the Vatican and even oversees a subordinate Cardinal-Pro-Prefect assigned under her. On February 14, 2026, Leo XIV escalated the experiment by naming Brambilla a member of the Dicastery for Bishops, inserting a woman religious into the curial machinery that shapes the selection of bishops. The Holy See Press Office bulletin announcing the appointment listed her among the dicastery’s members alongside a roster of Francis-era cardinals and synodal officials, making clear that this was a formal integration into the consultative body tasked with episcopal nominations.

“She has authority over a cardinal; that has never happened in the Church,” marveled one amazed observer. Indeed, this appointment, made by Francis and enthusiastically carried on by Leo XIV, blurs the line between the lay and clerical roles in Church governance. While women remain barred from Holy Orders, the Brambilla precedent effectively creates a female quasi-bishop at the highest levels of the Curia. She wields decision-making power akin to that of a diocesan ordinary, except over all religious orders globally and now over the selection of bishops. It is little wonder that leftists and feminists described her elevation as “completely new” and a “very good news” symbol for women in the Church.

From the Vatican’s perspective, this move was made possible by Francis’s 2022 constitution Praedicate Evangelium, which explicitly opened the door for laypeople (including women) to lead Vatican departments. In other words, the constitutional framework no longer treats curial offices as participating in sacred authority derived from ordination, but as delegated administrative tasks that the Pope can entrust to anyone competent.

The underlying theology, spelled out by Cardinal Marc Ouellet, among others, posits that governance in areas like religious life or education does not strictly require the grace of Holy Orders, but can be exercised by those with particular charisms and expertise. Ouellet argues that the Holy Spirit’s gifts “have their own weight of authority” wherever sacramental ordination is not necessary, and that even a layperson or nun can be legitimately placed in charge, “without detract[ing] from the value” of their service despite a “lack of holy Order”. The Brambilla appointment puts this theory into practice on an unprecedented scale.

Still, the implications are profound and troubling. For one, Brambilla’s role as Prefect grants her a status long reserved to bishops and cardinals. She will be a voting member of episcopal conferences when invited, participate in high-level synods, and be treated as a peer by prelates. This has prompted talk (half in jest, half in alarm) of “women in the episcopacy” in all but name. Canonically, she is not a bishop, yet functionally Sister Brambilla occupies an office indistinguishable from that of a diocesan bishop curially. The symbol is powerful: a woman religious now sits at a desk historically held by apostolic men, issuing directives that affect clergy and laity alike.

This sets the stage for a push toward female deacons or even female cardinals (offices that, while not requiring priestly orders, confer significant ecclesial authority). The Vatican insists nothing about Brambilla’s job involves sacred ordination; she cannot confer sacraments or govern a diocese. Cardinal Ouellet himself emphasized that appointing a woman prefect “does not mean entrusting [her] with tasks that are strictly sacramental,” only administrative leadership under the Pope’s ultimate jurisdiction. Yet optics and ecclesiology often intertwine. The Church now visibly operates with two tracks of authority: one sacramental-hierarchical, the other charismatic-administrative. The former is male-only; the latter is open to females. Such a bifurcation is a novelty.

Traditional ecclesiology, from St. Paul through Pope Pius XII, linked governance (the munus regendi) inseparably with Holy Orders. By contrast, the novel and erroneous post-conciliar approach, especially under Leo, leans into a more “democratic” distribution of power (in the non-sacramental realm) as a fulfillment of the Council’s call for lay co-responsibility. This is another sign of rupture: a concession to modern egalitarianism that subtly undermines the Church’s divinely ordained hierarchy. If a nun can run a congregation of the Roman Curia, and have a role in selecting bishops, does it not suggest that ordination is a contingent accident rather than an intrinsic necessity for governing the Church?

Rome may answer “no,” but the ambiguity is unescapable. In sum, the Brambilla precedent accelerates the Vatican II project of “updating” structures, even at the risk of doctrinal muddiness about the nature of authority. It is a risk the current regime is clearly willing to take.

The Ouellet Thesis: Laity Have Power Over the Ordained

Providing the theological underpinning for reforms like Brambilla’s placement is what might be called the Ouellet Thesis; a line of reasoning championed by Cardinal Marc Ouellet (Prefect Emeritus of Bishops). In essence, Ouellet proposes that the Church rediscover the role of the Holy Spirit’s charisms as a source of authority alongside the sacrament of Orders. He notes that Vatican II already “happily revalued” charisms and non-ordained ministries after “centuries of mistrust.”

While affirming that the episcopate remains a sacrament with the full tria munera (teaching, sanctifying, governing), Ouellet incredibly argues that this does not imply that “the sacrament of Holy Orders is the exclusive source of all government in the Church”. In a recent Vatican News article, he reflects on Francis’s “bold decision” to appoint laypeople and religious to high office, asking whether this is a mere temporary concession or a true “ecclesiological advance.”

Ouellet leans toward the latter. He discerned in Francis’s move “the authority of the Holy Spirit at work beyond the link… between the ordained ministry and the government of the Church.” In plainer terms, charismatic gifts bestowed by the Spirit can empower a person for governance tasks even without ordination. Ouellet hastens to add that this is “not a question of substituting charismatic governance for hierarchical government.” The Pope’s delegates still govern in communion with the ordained pastors. But it is a question of integrating the laity and women “without reservation” into the Church’s administrative and pastoral apparatus.

Conciliar Canon law already permits laity to cooperate in power of governance (cf. Canon 129 §2); Francis and Leo have simply taken this to a new level. According to Ouellet, having dicasteries “directed by competent persons, lay or religious, with a charism recognized by the supreme authority, does not detract” from their service just because they lack Holy Orders. In fact, he insists the charisms themselves carry a genuine “weight of authority” in certain fields, e.g. in social communications, education, finance, or dialogue, where specific expertise is needed and ordination per se adds no technical competence.

This erroneous thesis fundamentally changes how the Church understands authority. It shifts emphasis from the ontological character of the ordained minister (the traditional Catholic focus) to the spiritual and natural gifts of individuals, irrespective of clerical status. For example, if a lay woman has a proven charism for leadership in religious life, the Pope can appoint her to oversee nuns globally, trusting the Holy Spirit’s guidance in her work. The sacramental priesthood remains intact for sacramental duties, but in governance the hierarchy can at times yield to the charismatically endowed non-ordained.

Ouellet grounds this in a “richer” pneumatology: we must better discern the Holy Spirit’s action “beyond the sacraments” and within the Church-as-communion. It’s a warped theology that takes Vatican II’s talk of the “people of God” and “universal call to holiness” to its logical administrative conclusion. To its proponents, this development corrects an overly clerical vision of authority and allows the Church to use all her gifts. In reality, it is a spiritual veneer on what is, in effect, a managerial revolution.

One cannot ignore that this thinking conveniently aligns with modern secular values of egalitarian governance and meritocracy. In practice, the Ouellet Thesis smooths the path for more appointments like Sister Brambilla’s. It provides the doctrinal justification: the Pope is not “making” a woman a bishop; he is “entrusting a person recognized as competent… by virtue of a charism” with a responsibility, all under his own supreme authority. The hierarchical principle is preserved at the very top (the Pope as source of jurisdiction), but below that, flexibility reigns.

This “flexibility” is actually a rupture disguised as development. Did Christ or the Apostles ever envision charismatic governance separate from the sacramental hierarchy? No. Governance flows from Orders. The new paradigm means an uncoupling and a false disfigured view of authority in the Church.

Read more here.

Leo XIV Appoints Agenda 2030 Bishop: "Against Ecumenism Is Against Christ"

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:48:19 +0000

Leo XIV Appoints Agenda 2030 Bishop: "Against Ecumenism Is Against Christ"

gloria.tv | February 16, 2026
Pope Leo XIV appointed today the Cabo Verde born Bishop Teodoro Mendes Tavares, 62, of Ponta de Pedras, Brazil, as Bishop of Santiago de Cabo Verde.

Cabo Verde is an island country in the central Atlantic Ocean, off the west coast of Africa, made up of ten volcanic islands.

Born on 7 January 1964 in Cabo Verde, Bishop Tavares took his vows with the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans). He was ordained a priest on 11 July 1993 and was sent as a missionary to Brazil in 1994, to the Prelacy of Tefé, in the Amazonas region.

In 1995, he earned a licentiate in "ecumenism" from Trinity College in Dublin. His doctoral theses was on "Churches and European immigration policy in light of the Schengen and Dublin agreements".

In 2011, Benedict XVI appointed him as auxiliary bishop in the archdiocese of Belém do Pará, Brazil. Back then, the Catholic website FratresInUnum.wordpress.com described the appointment as anti-Catholic.

Francis advanced him in 2015 as Coadjutor and then Bishop of Ponta de Pedras, Brazil.

Signatory of the Cop30 Declaration

In 2023, the Brazilian bishops elected him president of the Episcopal Commission for Ecumenism and Inter-religious Dialogue for the 2023–27 term.

In July 2025, Pope Leo XIV appointed him as a member of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.

In November 2025, Tavares was listed as one of the Catholic bishops who signed a joint church statement at the COP30 UN-sponsored meeting in Belém.

Amazon Synod Is “Historic Milestone”

Monsignor Tavares participated in the Amazon Synod in 2019. Talking to VaticanNews.va, he described the long-forgotten Synod as a “historic milestone” that gives visibility to “the cry of the Amazon”.

“Earth Is Common Home… Religions Serve Fraternity”

In May 2021, according to Cnbb.org.br, he suggested that all dioceses should have "ecumenical" pastoral teams and groups to organise "ecumenical" prayers and celebrations.

He also said: “The Holy Father says that the Earth is our common home, and that we are all brothers and sisters. In the encyclical Fratelli Tutti, he clearly reiterates that a path of peace between religions is possible. He even states that religious leaders are called to be true dialoguers, playing an active role in building peace, not just as intermediaries, but as genuine mediators who seek peace as their ultimate goal. Furthermore, he affirms that religions are at the service of fraternity in the world.”

“Francis Is Ecumenical... Follow this Path”

In 2023, Monsignor Tavares told CanCanova.com that Pope Francis sets a “shining example” for the path we should follow in favour of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue in our search for unity in diversity.

He believes that “today's highly divided world expects churches and religions, members of other faiths, and us Catholic Christians in particular to promote a culture of encounter, dialogue, fraternity, social friendship, and peace”.

"Not to Be Ecumenical Is to Disobey the Magisterium"

In April 2024, he spoke at another interreligious celebration, according to A12.com: “Above all, this celebration shows the Catholic Church's openness to dialogue between Christians and people of other religions. I want to reiterate what Pope Francis has emphasised: the importance of living in a culture of encounter, dialogue, fraternity and social friendship. Religions must contribute to fraternity, peace, and goodness in the world, and never the opposite. So, the Catholic Church's great banner is peace, fraternity, and unity.”

In September 2025, he said at an ecumenical conference, as reported by CnBB.org.br: “Ecumenism is essential for the Church. Not to be ecumenical is to disobey the magisterium and go against the will of Christ, who prayed for the unity of his disciples.”

Salvation in Different Religious Traditions

Talking to Paulinas.com.br, Mons Tavares said that Nostra Aetate from Vatican II is the Magna Carta for interreligious dialogue:

“It represented a paradigm shift: from ecclesiocentrism and exclusivism to the recognition of the value of non-Christian religions. The Church proclaims Christ, but respects and esteems other religious confessions. The Declaration introduced a more inclusive vision, recognizing God's action in the history of salvation, which is realized under different names and in different traditions.”

Fr. James Martin praises Pope Leo for celebrating Mass with altar girls

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:43:15 +0000

Fr. James Martin praises Pope Leo for celebrating Mass with altar girls
Martin’s claim that it is un-controversial to have female altar servers is contradicted by many arguments,

including irrefutable theological principles and practical considerations.

Pope Leo XIV leaving the event at the Waterfront Mass on December 2, 2025, in Beirut, Lebanon
Photo by Adri Salido/Getty Images

Feb 16, 2026
(LifeSiteNews [adapted - not all hyperlinks included from original]) — Dissident Jesuit priest James Martin has praised Pope Leo XIV for including two female altar servers at a Mass he celebrated at a parish in Rome this past weekend.

“The use of female altar servers has proven controversial in some US dioceses, and among some bishops, but, apparently, not in the Diocese of Rome or for its bishop,” Martin said on social media Monday.

Martin’s remarks come amid what seems to be a rather grueling media tour promoting his new autobiography, Work in Progress. In recent days, Martin has appeared on Good Morning America and left-wing talk show host Stephen Colbert’s late-night program to boost book sales. He told Colbert that Leo is continuing Francis’ pro-LGBT agenda.

Martin’s claim that it is un-controversial to have female altar servers is contradicted by many arguments, including irrefutable theological principles as well as practical considerations that take into account the differences between boys and girls and the preparation of young boys for seminary.

The role of altar servers has historically been reserved for men and boys in the life of the Church, with several popes expressly forbidding women from serving at the altar. Fifth-century Pope Gelasius (492-496) condemned “the evil practice” of “women serving the priest at the celebration of Mass.” Pope Benedict XIV (1740-1758) reiterated this in his 1755 encyclical Allatae Sunt.

In a 2024 letter written by Sri Lankan Cardinal Albert Malcolm Ranjit, His Eminence declared that “no girls should be invited to serve at the altar” because that role “is one of the main sources of vocations to the priesthood in Sri Lanka and it will affect the number of candidates entering the seminaries, which risk we cannot take.”

Despite the Church’s longstanding teachings and tradition of denying women the role of altar boy, John Paul II permitted female altar servers in the 1990s. The Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts backed the move in a controversial decision.

Lectors, as well as acolytes, were historically minor orders reserved for men alone as they serve as stepping stones to the priesthood. Bishop Athanasius Schneider noted this in his 2023 book Credo when he said that ministers of the Church represent Christ, and because of this their ministries are to be carried out by ordained men or by their substitutes, male lectors or altar boys.

The cracking open of the door to female altar servers arguably took place under Paul VI when in his 1972 motu proprio Ministeria Quaedam he allowed the roles of lector and acolyte to be “lay ministries,” which eventually led to women stepping into the roles. Pope Francis went further in his 2021 motu proprio Spiritus Domini, which modified canon law to allow women to be officially installed as acolytes and lectors.

Bishop Schneider told LifeSite co-founder John-Henry Westen during a recent interview that allowing women to serve as lectors and altar servers introduces feminism into the “core” of the Roman liturgy, as it is a key step toward the ordination of female “priests.” His Excellency noted that this is exactly what happened in the Anglican Church, whose archbishop of Canterbury is now a woman who supports abortion and homosexual “marriage.”

Left-wing Catholic influencers who agree with Martin’s specious reasoning were quick to pounce on conservative critics of Leo. Former Democratic congressional candidate Chris Hale posted several images on his X account of female altar servers being included in liturgies offered by John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

Regardless, the theological principles and millennia-old teaching of the Church are irrefutable. Conservative and traditional Catholics on social media drew additional attention to how Leo’s liturgy was banal and uninspiring.

“Terrible music, ritual detached from tradition, and nonsensical things like female altar boys. Nobody finds this particularly profound,” former Disney child actor turned Catholic commentator Murray Rounds said in an X post.

A Spanish priest cleverly responded to Martin by noting that “the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass has proven controversial in some US dioceses, and among some bishops, but, apparently, not in the Diocese of Rome or for its bishop” — a reference to a Latin Mass offered by Cardinal Raymond Burke in St. Peter’s last year.

Traditional priest Fr. Nicolás E. Despósito urged Catholics not to be shocked by the news but rather to recall that “the real problem isn’t girls at the altar; it’s the apostasy at the top: Salvation outside the Church, blessings for sodomites, ‘God wills all religions,’ and communion for adulterers.”

Pope Leo’s Sunday Mass at Santa Maria Regina Pacis in the coastline neighborhood of Ostia was the first time he offered Mass at a parish church in Rome. At least one of the female servers was wearing Adidas sneakers.

Pope Leo approves Pontifical Marian Academy statutes rejecting ‘maximalism’ in devotion to Our Lady

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 14:35:01 +0000

Pope Leo approves Pontifical Marian Academy statutes rejecting ‘maximalism’ in devotion to Our Lady
The statutes also say that the spread of Marian ‘knowledge’ should serve not only the Church but a ‘universal brotherhood in solidarity, justice, and world peace.’

Pope Leo XIV gives a speech as he joins Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (not pictured)

during a cultural program in the library of the Presidential Palace on November 27, 2025, in Ankara, Turkey
Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Feb 11, 2026
VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV has approved new statutes of the Pontifical International Marian Academy that express the goal of avoiding “maximalism” in Marian devotions.

On Saturday, the Vatican published new statutes regarding the “identity and purpose” and governing composition and structure of the Pontifical Marian Academy. A few clauses of the statutes could potentially be used as a pretext for rejecting certain Marian devotions, prompting at least one commentator to describe them as an attempt to subtly alter and weaken Marian devotion.

For example, while expressing the academy’s mission of promoting, supporting, and coordinating Marian research, Article 4 of the statutes declares that this should be conducted “in view of a healthy popular piety to avoid any form of maximalism or minimalism.”

The statues also proclaim that Marian piety should not be “reduced to a sterile devotionism, but give life to Marian places that promote the well-being and integral development of the human person in harmony with the environment.” This particular clause suggests that Marian devotion has as its aim the “well-being and development” of the person and the benefit of the environment, rather than the honor of the Blessed Mother and the spiritual welfare of the person.

“While no faithful Catholic would defend superstition or doctrinal excess detached from the Church’s teaching authority, the terminology employed seems to subtly redefine what generations of saints, theologians, and popes promoted without hesitation,” remarked the Radical Fidelity Substack.

Significantly, the statutes also restructure the Academy to include as its members so-called “‘mariology sents’ of other Christian denominations, as well as other religions and cultures,” meaning its members may include people who reject Catholic teaching on the Blessed Mother, such as on her Immaculate Conception and role as Mediatrix.

In addition, the spread of Marian “knowledge” is to serve not only the Church but a “universal brotherhood in solidarity, justice, and world peace,” according to the statutes. The concept of a “universal brotherhood” united in anything other than the Church and her faith, worship, and sacraments is not a Catholic one. As Bishop Marian Eleganti has put it, “For the sake of the indispensable mediation of Jesus Christ, we should not speak of universal brotherhood, but of charity in the sense of the parable of the Good Samaritan.”

“It is clear that this is an attempt by the Synodal Modernists to reshape Marian theology according to the sensitivities of Protestant sects, false religions, and even atheist perspectives, all to diminish devotion to Our Lady, traditionally honored as the Destroyer of Heresies,” commented Radical Fidelity.

The Academy now must also conduct its activities in coordination with dicasteries such as the Dicastery for Culture and Education, which is currently headed by the heterodox prelate Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, a consistent promoter of LGBT ideology.

Radical Fidelity has suggested that what Catholics need is not the Vatican’s current rejection of Mary’s titles of Mediatrix and Co-Redemptrix, and consequent downplaying of her powerful role in our salvation — and therefore weakening of our devotion to her — but a “more authentic, doctrinally rooted, and confidently proclaimed devotion that recognizes that all true honor given to Mary ultimately redounds to the glory of her Son.”

“In this age marked by the doctrinal confusion and spiritual indifference that is promoted by the squatters in Rome, the safest path remains the one consistently recommended by Tradition: Ad Jesum per Mariam.”

Pope Leo XIV Moves Above the Papal Apartment, Under the Roof

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 12:35:07 +0000

Pope Leo XIV Moves Above the Papal Apartment, Under the Roof

gloria.tv | January 30, 2026

Pope Leo XIV is expected to return to the Apostolic Palace, but not to the former papal apartment, reports the Italian newspaper La Repubblica on Friday.

He plans to move into a top-floor attic-style apartment located one level above the papal residence. It is barely visible from the outside.

The apartment is described as being located above the papal apartments, on the uppermost level between the 'Third Loggia' and the roof. It is situated in a self-contained section of the palace.

Inside the new apartment are bedroom, kitchen and bathroom, a fitness room, a small private chapel and a roof terrace. On the terrace, there is a replica of the Lourdes grotto, placed there during the pontificate of John Paul II.

Despite repeated expectations that the move was imminent, no specific move date has been set.

Pope Leo doubles down on Vatican rejection of ‘Co-Redemptrix’

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 14:51:24 +0000

Pope Leo doubles down on Vatican rejection of ‘Co-Redemptrix’
At a time of apostasy, impurity, and confusion, the faithful do not need a diminished Mother.

Pope Leo XIV
Adri Salido/Getty Images

Jan 29, 2026
(LifeSiteNews) — On Thursday morning, Pope Leo XIV publicly praised a Vatican document that has already sparked one of the most serious Marian controversies in decades.

Addressing the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Pope commended the doctrinal note Mater Populi Fidelis, issued under the extremely controversial Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, infamous for his books on kissing [etc.].

Leo praised the Fernández document, saying it “encourages popular Marian devotion, deepening its biblical and theological foundations, and at the same time offers precise and important clarifications for Mariology.”

While many suggested that it was only Fernández who issued the document, the Pope has now doubled down on his support after having originally permitted its publication and signing it.

But a growing number of faithful Catholics—bishops, priests, theologians, and even the Pope’s own former flock—say those “clarifications” do something very different.

They say the document diminishes the Blessed Virgin Mary, restricts time-honored Catholic language, and effectively repudiates doctrines that popes, saints, and the universal Church have taught for centuries.

Remember what the document actually says. Mater Populi Fidelis declares that the Marian title “Co-Redemptrix” is “always inappropriate,” and it discourages the title “Mediatrix of All Graces,” claiming it is not clearly grounded in revelation and risks confusion.

[Read more here.]

Pope Leo says different Christian faiths are ‘already one’

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 13:08:14 +0000

Pope Leo says different Christian faiths are ‘already one’
Pope Leo's claim directly contradicts Catholic teaching that Christian unity is grounded in shared faith, the sacraments, and governance.

Pope Leo XIV
Franco Origlia/Getty Images

Jan 26, 2026
VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV concluded the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity by declaring that different Christian faiths are already “one.”

“We are one! We already are! Let us recognize it, experience it and make it visible!” Leo said in his Sunday homily on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul at the Basilica of St. Paul outside the Walls in Rome.

As Vatican News put it, he stressed how “different Christian religions share the same faith.” His remarks were addressed to clergymen of schismatic and heretical churches, including the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the Anglican Communion.

Leo’s claim directly contradicts Catholic teaching as laid out in the Catechism of St. Pius X, according to which the Church is united by the “same faith,” “same worship,” “same law” “and in participation of the same Sacraments, under the same visible Head, the Roman Pontiff.” Therefore, schismatic churches that reject the authority of the pope, such as Eastern Orthodox churches, and heretical sects such as the Anglican Communion cannot be said to be unified, or “one,” with the Catholic Church.

The Catechism of the Council of Trent affirms, “It is the unanimous teaching of the Fathers that this visible head is necessary to establish and preserve unity in the Church.”

Likewise, in the encyclical Satis Cognitum, promulgated on June 29, 1896, Leo XIII taught that Christian unity is grounded in shared faith, the sacraments, and governance. The document explicitly rejected the idea of an invisible or merely spiritual Church and affirmed that full unity requires adherence to the authority established by Christ in the Catholic Church.

In his Sunday homily, Leo XIV also invoked Pope Francis’ claim that the “synodal” path of the Catholic Church “is and must be ecumenical, just as the ecumenical journey is synodal.”

“As we look toward the 2,000th anniversary of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus in 2033, let us commit ourselves to further developing ecumenical synodal practices and to sharing with one another who we are, what we do and what we teach,” Leo said.

Pope Leo appoints heterodox consultants to Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 15:17:10 +0000

Pope Leo appoints heterodox consultants to Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue

Pope Leo XIV confirmed a line of nominations consistent with those made under Pope Francis.

Jan 20, 2026
VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews [adapted - not all hyperlinks from original included]) — Pope Leo XIV has appointed 19 new consultants to the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, confirming a line of nominations consistent with those made under Pope Francis.

On Monday the Holy See announced that Pope Leo XIV had named 19 consultants to the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue in Vatican City, selecting clerics, religious, and lay academics from various countries to advise the dicastery in its mission of fostering relations between the Catholic Church and followers of other religions.

Among the newly appointed consultants is Emilce Cuda, who is also secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. She stated in a 2020 interview: “I do not comment on abortion because I am specialized in social morality, not in bioethics.”

Cuda attracted international attention in 2022 following the decision of the United States Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. Commenting on the ruling, she warned that many Catholics “confuse the defense of life with the defense of ideological positions” and argued that human dignity should not be reduced to the issues of abortion and euthanasia alone. Cuda is also publicly associated with the “theology of the people” (teología del pueblo), a current of thought originating in Argentina and germinated from the condemned theology of liberation.

Another appointee is Mónica Santamarina, a leading figure in the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations (WUCWO). In June 2023, Santamarina called for combating what she described as “clericalism” by expanding the presence of women in seminaries and in Church leadership. Speaking to the daily newspaper of the Italian Conference of Bishops, Avvenire, she said: “It is no secret that the gap exists. Obviously not at all levels, and not in the same way.” In the same interview, she praised Pope Francis as a “champion” of inclusion for appointing women to senior Vatican roles, while maintaining that “much clericalism still persists, especially at the local level.”

The list of consultants also includes Ana María Bidegain, president of a confederation of lay movements called Pax Romana. In a June 2023 interview with CatalunyaReligio.cat, Bidegain said: “Our great challenge is how to help articulate and build the Synodal Church.” In the same interview, she stated that, “without the work of the laity, Liberation Theology would never have been born.” She also referred to theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez as then serving as an adviser to Pax Romana groups in Peru. Gutiérrez, the founding father of liberation theology, died in October 2024.

From Latin America, Sofía Nicolasa Chipana Quispe of Bolivia was named among the consultants. Chipana is associated with indigenous, feminist, and decolonial theology and is a member of the Community of Indigenous Women Theologians of Abya Yala, which is the indigenous name for the region of Latin America and Caribbean. She has been presented by the World Council of Churches as “a primary voice of an indigenous theology that values living in dignity and sacredness with the earth and respect for all forms of life.” Chipana has also spoken of Andean spirituality as “unconditionally linked to Pachamama, the Mother Earth.”

The final highlighted appointment is that of Father Wasim Salman, a Syro-Italian priest incardinated in the Diocese of Palestrina. Salman has described interreligious dialogue as the only path to peace between religions, stating that “it is the love for our Muslim brothers that will mark our activities, especially since the Church shares with Islam the same concerns described and developed extensively in the Document on Human Fraternity.” He has also referred to Islam as “this great religion whose spread is impressive today.”

The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue was established by Pope Paul VI for dialogue between Catholics and members of other non‑Christian religions. After the reform of the curial structure carried out by Pope Francis with Praedicate Evangelium, the dicastery adopted the specific aims of “promoting mutual understanding, respect, and cooperation between Catholics and followers of other religious traditions; encouraging the study of religions; and fostering the formation of people dedicated to dialogue.”

The latest appointments by Pope Leo XIV continue this trajectory, drawing on figures previously active in synodal processes, interreligious initiatives, and controversial theological movements across the Church.