The Catacombs - Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer after ‘successful’ surgery

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:13:01 +0000

Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer after ‘successful’ surgery
Part of Pope Leo XIV's right lung was removed during surgery in Rome on Tuesday.

Pope Leo XIV
Franco Origlia/Getty Images

Oct 13, 2026
(LifeSiteNews) — The Vatican confirmed Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery to remove part of a lung that included a cancerous growth.

The Holy See reported that the surgery was deemed successful and the 71-year-old Pontiff was resting after returning to his room at Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic hospital in northwest Rome.

“The procedure was completed successfully, within the expected time frame and as planned, and the Holy Father has returned to his room,” the Holy See Press Office said.

During the surgery, doctors said there was evidence of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a common type of lung cancer, and that they removed part of the lung.

“The Holy Father underwent thoracic surgery as scheduled,” Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora said in a statement after the surgery. “To make the procedure more radical, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using video-assisted surgery.”

Pope Leo had announced Sunday to a crowd in St. Peter’s Square that a nodule had been detected on his right lung and that he was scheduled to undergo a procedure this week while asking for prayers.

The U.S.-born Pope had not been reported to have any health issues since he was elected to the papacy last year.

Pope Leo had conducted a normal schedule with meetings on Monday before he entered the hospital. All of Leo’s scheduled events have since been cancelled until October 20. The Pope’s recovery in the hospital is expected to last a week.

Oncologists said the prognosis is good considering the cancer was caught at an early stage.

This story is developing…

Leo XIV has promoted prime enforcer of Traditionis custodes, who wears Bugnini's ring

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 15:44:57 +0000

From gloria.tv October 10, 2026:

Leo XIV has appointed Vittorio Francesco Viola OFM, the current secretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship, and prime enforcer of Traditionis custodes,

who famously wears the episcopal ring of Annibale Bugnini...

Leo XIV appoints enemy of Roman Mass, Archbishop Viola, as archpriest of St. Peter’s – “More to the left than Andrea Grillo”, wears Bugnini’s ring.

Today, Pope Leo XIV appointed Archbishop Vittorio Francesco Viola, 61, O.F.M., as Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, Vicar General for Vatican City, and President of the Fabric of St. Peter.

He succeeds Cardinal Mauro Gambetti.

Monsignor Viola will likely be created a cardinal, as every listed Archpriest of St. Peter’s for hundreds of years has been a cardinal.

In 2021, when he was Bishop of Tortona, Francis appointed him Secretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship.

Viola’s career was strongly supported by Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino, who served as Prelate of Pompeii, Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship, and later Bishop of Assisi. In Assisi, he worked closely with Viola, who was active in Franciscan, liturgical, and charitable work.

Archbishop Viola is part of the circle inspired by Archbishop Annibale Bugnini, the architect of the disastrous liturgical changes under Paul VI. He even wears the episcopal ring once owned by Bugnini.

Viola became one of the leading interpreters of Traditionis custodes, which restricts the Roman Mass.

He also reportedly helped draft the 2022 apostolic letter Desiderio desideravi, in which Francis claims that Catholics cannot truly accept the Second Vatican Council while rejecting the liturgical reform that followed it.

Paix Liturgique reported that Viola has played a key role in denying permissions for young priests who wish to celebrate the Roman Mass. Under current rules, bishops must often seek Vatican approval for such requests.

Andrea Grillo, a well-known enemy of the traditional liturgy, has reportedly said: “Viola is more to the left than I am.”

Pope Leo to visit Assisi 40 years after historic prayer meeting

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:06:19 +0000

Pope Leo to visit Assisi 40 years after historic prayer meeting
From October 25 to 27, Assisi will host an interreligious peace prayer, the 40th annual meeting in a series initiated by Pope St John Paul II.

Vatican News | October 6, 2026

40 years ago, on October 27, 1986, Pope St John Paul II took part in the historic World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi, central Italy. For the first time in history, representatives of all world religions were invited by the Pope to pray together for peace.

Among those inspired by that meeting was the Community of Sant’Egidio, a Catholic lay organisation, which since then has continued to promote what is known as the ‘Spirit of Assisi’ every year across Europe and beyond.

This year’s event be attended by Pope Leo XIV. “We are truly delighted by the Holy Father’s return to Assisi,” said the local bishop, Monsignor Felice Accrocca. “We firmly believe that the Pope’s presence, together with all the other religious leaders, can reinforce the shared journey against every form of violence.”

The meeting in Assisi in 1986

[Rest of article here.]

Pope Leo calls for the Church to be an ‘open house’ with no ‘judging’

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:46:11 +0000

Pope Leo calls for the Church to be an ‘open house’ with no ‘judging’
Leo’s prayer that the Church ‘listens without judging’ suggests that the Church refrains from judging objective matters of sin.

Oct 2, 2026
(LifeSiteNews) –– Pope Leo XIV has stated that he wants the Church to be an “open house” that “listens without judging.”

“May your Church be an open house, a safe space where everyone has a place — a community that accompanies and never excludes; that listens without judging; and that draws near without fear,” Leo said in his prayer video for October 2026.

Leo’s prayer intentions are dedicated this month to those who suffer from anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses.

Christ Jesus and His Church indeed desire the healing of those who suffer from mental illness, and the Church is open to receiving anyone into her communion, provided they sincerely intend to live out the Catholic faith.

Leo’s prayer that the Church “listens without judging,” however, suggests or may easily be interpreted to suggest that the Church refrains from judging objective matters of sin. Rather, the Church in her charity defines situations in which sin, and especially mortal sin has been committed, so that the sinner may repent and be reconciled with God.

The prayer is reminiscent of Pope Francis’ repeated exhortations not to “judge.” He most famously said in 2013, regarding gay priests, “Who am I to judge?” In 2024, he urged people to remember Jesus Christ’s commandment to “never judge.”

Catholics cannot judge the subjective culpability of sinners, but Francis’ remark “Who am I to judge?” was widely interpreted by the mainstream media to mean that there is nothing wrong with homosexual behavior. This suggests similar statements from the pope that we should not “judge” will evoke similar interpretations.

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Masonic, French Revolutionary motto ‘Liberty, Equality, Fraternity’

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 14:17:10 +0000

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Masonic, French Revolutionary motto ‘Liberty, Equality, Fraternity’
Pope Leo celebrated a motto used by Freemasons that traces back to the bloody, anti-Catholic French Revolution.

Pope Leo XIV
Marco Iacobucci Epp/Shutterstock

Sep 25, 2026
(LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV celebrated a motto of the French Revolution used by Freemasons —”Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” — as “universal ethical imperatives” during a speech at the Élysée on Friday.

“France was responsible for significant advances in our world, including the recognition of human rights grounded in the nature of the human person, particularly religious freedom,” said Leo in the presence of President Emmanuel Macron and French officials.

“This constant focus on the dignity inherent in every person is echoed in your national motto. Liberty, equality and fraternity are not simply words emblazoned on the front of your public buildings; they refer to universal ethical imperatives that also find in the Gospel message an inexhaustible source of inspiration and fulfillment,” said the pontiff.

Leo’s reference to “Liberty, equality and fraternity” as “universal ethical imperatives” is concerning because, while the words serve as France’s national motto, they also serve as the motto of the Freemasonic Grand Orient and the Grande Loge de France. The motto comes from the French Revolution, which was fiercely opposed to the Catholic Church, and killed thousands of bishops, priests, religious, and lay Catholics by the guillotine during the “Reign of Terror.”

Leo’s praise of the “religious freedom” he said has been recognized by France is also contrary to the Catholic Church’s traditional understanding of the subject. Pope Pius IX’s Quanta Cura and the Syllabus of Errors condemned the idea that “Every man is free to embrace and profess that religion which, guided by the light of reason, he shall consider true.”

The pope at the same time appeared to reproach France’s secularism during Friday’s speech, which itself ultimately traces back to the French Revolution.

“The Christian involved in public life, who acts in the light of his conscience enlightened by faith, cannot be considered a proselytizer or a threat to the unity of the homeland,” Leo said, according to AdVaticanum’s Vatican correspondent Niwa Limbu.

“A just secularism therefore does not consist in excluding religion from the public sphere or from education, but in committing to ensuring that the State and religious institutions dialogue with one another and join their forces in the service of the common good,” said the pope.

He appeared to take direct aim at France’s policy of “laïcité,” which mandates the total separation of the state from religion. The policy was codified by the 1905 Law on the Separation of the Churches and the State.

Last year, Macron delivered a national address praising the country’s secular framework, asserting that the “secular Republic” means France does not represent “an identity born of cultural, religious, or particular origins.” He praised the 1905 law as “the fulfilment of the French Revolution.”

Pope Leo highlighted on Friday the “deep Christian roots” of France, which trace to St. Irenaeus of Lyon and the baptism of Clovis, the King of the Franks, in 496, which inaugurated France’s title as the “Eldest Daughter of the Church.”

Leo also stressed the importance of the right to life, and condemned abortion, assisted suicide, and surrogacy in the presence of French officials, according to The Tablet. In doing so he rebuked France’s own pro-abortion and assisted dying laws. The country recently passed legislation that legalizes euthanasia and assisted suicide under certain conditions.

“The protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of every other human right,” said the pontiff.

He asserted the need “to welcome life unconditionally, to support frailty with loving care, to accompany every stage of life with respect and mutual trust, and to defend with courage and compassion those unable to make their voices heard and those who feel ignored or overlooked.”

Leo also expressed concern about “trends in society that risk turning science and technology into profit-driven ventures promoting genetic manipulation, surrogacy, the trade in human organs or the possibility of arranging one’s own death.”

“Let us not forget that mutual respect and the protection of every human life is a duty incumbent upon each and every one of us,” Leo continued, recalling that the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” was first pronounced in Paris.

Leo met privately with Macron at the Élysée Palace before his address to French civil authorities and diplomatic corps, all part of his first stop in France. His apostolic journey runs from Sept. 25 to 28 and will include a visit to the UNESCO headquarters, to Notre Dame Cathedral, and a trip to the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Leo XIV decides to exclude Roman Canon for all papal Masses on France visit

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 11:35:06 +0000

Leo XIV decides to exclude Roman Canon for all papal Masses on France visit

The missal at all three scheduled Masses will use Eucharistic Prayer III, spoken in French, instead of Eucharistic Prayer I, the ancient Roman Canon.

Pope Leo XIV

(LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV has chosen to exclude the Roman Canon for all three papal Masses to be offered during his upcoming visit to France.

The missal at all three scheduled Masses — in Paris, Lourdes, and Metz — will use Eucharistic Prayer III, spoken in French, instead of Eucharistic Prayer I, the ancient Roman Canon.

This continues a trend of the current and previous pontificates.

InfoVaticana suggests that the decision to exclude the Roman Canon “takes on special significance in Lourdes,” which is the central celebration of the Pope’s visit.

“With the Creed and Gloria sung in Gregorian chant and the Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and Our Father in Latin. In such a carefully prepared setting, Eucharistic Prayer I — the most ancient and venerable of the Roman rite, the only one of the Latin Church for fourteen centuries — would have been the natural choice,” asserted InfoVaticana. “The organizers have once again preferred the anaphora composed in 1968.”

“The first months of the pontificate raised hopes of a recovery of the Roman Canon in papal liturgy, an emblem of continuity with the millennial tradition of the Church of Rome” explained InfoVaticana. “Trip after trip that hope fades: Eucharistic Prayer III has become the default option of the Office of Liturgical Celebrations, even on the most solemn occasions.”

News that the French papal Masses will exclude the Roman Missal follows reports that Pope Leo has ignored audience requests from traditionalist Summorum Pontificum pilgrims.

Leo will visit France September 25–28.

Pope Leo’s Vatican asks Catholics to ‘esteem’ other faiths

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:41:13 +0000

Pope Leo’s Vatican asks Catholics to ‘esteem’ other faiths
The Vatican’s new document on inter-religious dialogue downplays evangelization

and rejects ‘a closed view of reality’ and ‘the defensive entrenchment in one’s own position.’

Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez
Antonio Masiello/Getty Images

Sep 16, 2026
(LifeSiteNews [Emphasis - The Catacombs]) —The Vatican has asked Catholics to ‘esteem’ other faiths in its latest document on interreligious dialogue and “fraternity.”

The document, signed by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF); Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity; and Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, appeared this morning.

Entitled “A Journey of Hope: Sixty Years of Interreligious Dialogue and Fraternity in the Light of the Conciliar Declaration Nostra Aetate,” the text discourages “proselytism,” that is, attempts to convert people of other religions.

“The defensive entrenchment in one’s own position and the view that proselytism is the only way to engage with the other no longer make sense in a world that increasingly resembles an interconnected and constantly evolving global village,” it states.

The document upholds “interreligious dialogue” and “fraternity” with other religions as an ideal, but frames these as means towards “peace” and “understanding,” as opposed to evangelization.

What does dialogue mean, according to the text?

“To engage in dialogue in the spirit of, therefore, presupposes a contemplative gaze directed toward the ‘other who is different.’ ‘Approaching, speaking, listening, looking at, coming to know and understand one another, and to find common ground: all these things are summed up in the one word ‘dialogue.’” Evangelization, conversion, and bringing one towards Christ are not cited in this conception of dialogue.

The document further explicitly differentiates “dialogue” from Christian evangelization, more clearly implying that the Vatican’s idea of interreligious dialogue does not involve evangelization.

“To those who might be tempted to insist exclusively on the obligation to proclaim Christ, they recall that also affirms the necessity of dialogue with other religious traditions, since such dialogue is now ‘a part of the Church’s evangelizing mission,’” the text states.

The text cites Pope Francis’ affirmation that such dialogue is “a necessary condition for peace in the world, and so it is a duty for Christians as well as other religious communities.”

So-called “fraternity” itself is also a stated goal, independent of any effort to convert others to Christianity. The document encourages “constant dialogue with cultures, religions, and consciences” that is ultimately “directed toward universal fraternity.”

In “building human fraternity,” what matters for each religion is not that they adhere to the truth, but that they embrace the “poor” and “wounded”:

“Hence arises the importance of a universal criterion of discernment that can be found in the sacred texts of the various religions: namely, whether one welcomes or rejects the wounded person lying by the roadside. Concrete concern for the most vulnerable is the essential measure by which the integrity of every project—whether political, economic, social, academic, religious, or cultural—must be judged. The poor, in all the forms their vulnerability may take, are the compass that allows us to know whether we are moving in the right direction.”

Moving forward, the document declares that our religious goal should be not to establish a “one great world religion in which all beliefs are flattened,” but to build “a fraternal society capable of accepting differences.” That is, Catholics must accept that their neighbors espouse error.

“This intention remains at the heart of interreligious dialogue,” it adds.

The document even suggests that adhering to dogma involves a “closed view of reality” that becomes a source of “suffering.”

“Monolithic and isolated models, which encourage a closed view of reality, are proving increasingly inadequate and, ultimately, become sources of violence and suffering for the most vulnerable,” it claims.

The DDF’s text goes so far as to declare that different, erroneous religions have “special gifts” that they do not have to part with: “In this regard, religions, like universities, have much to offer, without having to renounce their specific character and special gifts.”

Thus, by all indications, the document endorses religious indifferentism, which was condemned by Pope Gregory XVI, by Pope Pius IX in his Syllabus of Errors, and by other popes.

In this regard, the DDF text contradicts Church magisterial teaching.

Pope Leo criticizes ‘prophets of doom,’ quoting John XXIII at Vatican II

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 14:13:35 +0000

Pope Leo criticizes ‘prophets of doom,’ quoting John XXIII at Vatican II
Pope Leo XIV recalled that Pope John XXIII slammed those who believe modern times are worse than past ages,

then went on to ask the faithful to engage with 'modern realities' such as poverty, the 'future of the planet,' and war.

Pope Leo XiV
Juan Naharro Gimenez/Getty Images

Sep 3, 2026
(LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV opened this week’s Wednesday General Audience by citing Pope John XXIII’s warning against the so-called “prophets of doom” who believe our current time is worse than previous generations.

During his September 2 audience, which focused on the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes promulgated at the Second Vatican Council, Pope Leo recalled that Pope John XXIII, in his opening address to the Second Vatican Council, Gaudet Mater Ecclesia, had slammed the “prophets of doom” who believe modern times are worse than past ages. The pontiff went on to call on the faithful to engage with “modern realities” such as poverty, the “future of the planet,” and war.

Despite the pontiff endorsing his predecessor’s words, he has repeatedly suggested that our modern age is the worst it has been for the environment, noting his belief that the “world is burning” due to “global warming.”

Quote:“With today’s meeting, we will begin to reflect on the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, with which the Second Vatican Council intended to focus on a fundamental theme, namely the relationship between the Church and the contemporary world. Saint John XXIII, as early as his inaugural address of 11 October 1962, had sought to take issue with the ‘prophets of doom’ who, ‘though burning with zeal for religion (…) go about saying that our times, when compared with past centuries, are entirely worse; and go so far as to behave as if they had nothing to learn from history,'” Leo said during the audience.

“Hence the task entrusted to the Council Fathers: ‘In the present state of human events, in which humanity appears to be entering a new order of things, one must rather see the mysterious plans of Divine Providence, which are brought to fulfilment in due course through the work of men, and often beyond their expectations, and which, with wisdom, arrange everything, even adverse human affairs, for the good of the Church,'” he added.

Indeed, a 2025 study showed that since 1965, the final year of the Second Vatican Council, Catholic countries across the globe have experienced a “steady decline in the monthly adult religious service attendance rate starting immediately after Vatican II.”

While the pontiff has not discussed this decline among the faithful, he has spoken extensively about his concern for the environment and so-called “climate change” since the beginning of his pontificate.

While celebrating his first “Mass for the Care of Creation” last year, Leo XIV declared that the “world is burning” because of “global warming.” He also highlighted a supposed need for “conversion” for those who do not yet prioritize “the urgency of caring for our common home.” This week, the Holy Father opened the second “Season of Creation” of his pontificate by celebrating another “Care of Creation” Mass.

During the audience, Leo also stressed that the faithful are called to help to address issues such as poverty, hunger, helping the environment, and working toward peace:

Quote:Christian solidarity commits us to engaging with reality and also to unmasking the contradictions that characterize personal and social life in the contemporary world: for example, scientific and technological progress, which constantly offers new possibilities, but only to some, and which human beings do not always succeed in ‘subjecting .. to [their] own welfare’; or a clearer understanding of the ‘laws of society,’ accompanied, however, by uncertainties ‘about the direction to give” them; or, again, a greater abundance of “wealth, resources and economic power”, which, unfortunately, today as in the days of the Council, leaves “a huge proportion of the world’s citizens … still tormented by hunger and poverty” (GS 4); or a shared awareness that the future of the planet is at stake, coupled with an inability to renounce selfish consumption and the illusion that war is an effective means of building peace.

While there is nothing wrong with the faithful praying for these intentions, not mentioning the need to spread the Gospel is a glaring omission.

The pope did note that “in the Church, at every level and in every age, it is necessary to achieve the merciful kenosis of Christ, who ‘did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant … and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross’ (Phil 2:6-8).”

However, Leo only made this brief statement at the end of the audience.

Pope Leo extends pro-LGBT archbishop’s tenure after resignation

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:36:33 +0000

Pope Leo extends pro-LGBT archbishop’s tenure after resignation
Pope Leo XIV accepted Archbishop Mario Delpini’s resignation upon reaching 75 but ordered him to remain in charge of the archdiocese until 2027.

Archbishop Mario Delpini
Marco Iacobucci Epp/Shutterstock.com

Sep 1, 2026
MILAN (LifeSiteNews [slightly adapted, not all hyperlinks included from original]) — Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of pro-LGBT Archbishop Mario Delpini of Milan but ordered the prelate to remain at the head of the archdiocese for another year.

On September 1, the Archdiocese of Milan announced on its official website that Pope Leo, while accepting Delpini’s resignation – as prescribed by the Code of Canon Law upon reaching the age of 75 – has nonetheless extended his episcopal mandate for an additional year.

“In a letter received a few days ago, the Apostolic Nuncio to Italy, Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, informed the Archbishop that Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation nunc pro tunc, extending the mandate for one year. The Nuncio also communicated that, at the end of the indicated period, after July 2027, the Apostolic Nunciature will begin the customary process for the provision of this See. The Archbishop will therefore remain in office until the publication of the appointment of his successor,” the announcement reads.

Delpini has distinguished himself as one of Italy’s most progressive prelates, showing favor toward both the LGBT cause and Freemasonry.

On June 12, he celebrated a Mass for the LGBT group “Il Gruppo del Guado” on the Feast of the Sacred Heart. This was seen as following the synodal documents of the Italian Bishops’ Conference which promote pro-LGBT language and initiatives.

On May 11, the Archdiocese of Milan unveiled its “Ambrosian Monastery” project, a new religious and cultural complex described as “inclusive and futuristic.” The project includes a church, a cloister, and several areas dedicated to interreligious dialogue and cultural events, including a “Garden of Religions.” Architectural renderings show a modern structure with angular forms and triangular layouts.

On February 16, 2024, the Archdiocese of Milan held a closed-door meeting on Catholic-Masonic dialogue, attended by a group of select journalists and invited guests. Present were the three Grand Masters of Italy’s Grand Lodges – Stefano Bisi, Luciano Romoli, and Fabio Venzi – alongside Delpini, Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, and Franciscan theologian and canonist Zbigniew Suchecki. Bishop Antonio Staglianò, president of the Pontifical Academy of Theology, delivered an extended address suggesting points of convergence between Catholicism and Freemasonry while downplaying doctrinal differences traditionally considered irreconcilable.

The Archdiocese of Milan holds a unique place in the Catholic world – second only to Rome in historical prestige, pastoral influence, and theological weight. Its archbishops have traditionally been elevated to the cardinalate, a custom that underscores Milan’s symbolic role as the Church’s northern pillar.

Archbishop Mario Delpini, while often described as a progressive voice, had an uneasy relationship with Pope Francis. His failure to receive the red hat – a break with centuries of precedent – has been interpreted by many observers as a subtle sign of this tension.

Since Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini (a key player in the liberal St. Gallen Mafia) governed Milan, the archdiocese has largely been entrusted to prelates aligned with a progressive theological and pastoral vision – often emphasizing compromise with modern culture over doctrinal continuity.

Martini’s influence extended well beyond Italy, shaping a generation of prelates who sought a more liberal, synodal, and culturally adaptive Church. With allies in his St. Gallen collective including powerful prelates such as Cardinals Gotfried Danneels, Walter Kasper, and Cormac Murphy‑O’Connor, the group became a decisive force in the post-John Paul II era. It also played a strategic role in paving the way for Pope Francis’ election in 2013.

Leo XIV's New Chinese Bishop Composed Hymn to Communist Party

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:13:18 +0000

Leo XIV's New Chinese Bishop Composed Hymn to Communist Party

Leo XIV announced that Honggang Liu, 55, was consecrated a Bishop for the Chinese Diocese of Datong on August 31.

gloria.tv | August 31, 2026

ChinaCatholic.cn admitted today that Liu was elected bishop-designate of Datong on 28 April 2026. Vatican.va wrote today that Leo XIV did not formally appoint him until 10 August. Thus, Liu was selected unilaterally through the Chinese process more than three months before the papal appointment.

Career Cleric of State Church

Liu has been since his seminary time a career cleric of the state-controlled apparatus “Patriotic association”.

He became the state’s diocesan administrator of Datong in March 2005. He effectively administered the same diocese for two decades before becoming its bishop today.

Chinese sources has called him for years the director of the Datong Municipal Catholic Patriotic Association and head of the diocese. Currently he is vice-director of the Shanxi Patriotic Association (provincial-level leadership post).

Raising Chinese Flags in Churches

In October 2018, the Datong Catholic Patriotic Association and diocese participated in the nationwide campaign to raise Chinese flags at Catholic religious sites.

Liu led personally priests, sisters and Catholics at the flag-raising ceremonies while officials attended.

The stated objectives included the strengthening of national consciousness and practicing “socialist core values”.

2018: Datong Catholics Denounce State Pressure

On 26 November 2018, AsiaNews.it published an open letter by eight Catholics of the Diocese of Datong. The title was: “We cannot remain silent on the oppression of our faith.”

The Catholics mentioned that in Liu’s diocese:
- a church cross had been demolished;
- an entire church had been demolished;
- Catholics' freedom to attend gatherings was obstructed;
- large religious gatherings were severely restricted;
- regular celebration of the Eucharist was being restricted;
- they lacked a fixed place for Mass;
- purchasing Bibles/religious books had become difficult;

Liu wrote a reply simply denying the facts as completely fabricated.

Communist Re-Education for Clergy

On 25 June 2021, Liu personally led Datong Catholic clergy on a Communist Party-history education excursion.

They visited the Daqüanshan memorial and the Dongfanghong Museum, studied Mao Zedong's history and Communist revolutionary history.

Furthermore, they viewed Mao badges, quotations, portraits and collected works. The official report says participants wished a greater prosperity for China under the Party's leadership.

To express the sentiments of “all the clergy of the Diocese of Datong,” Liu wrote a poem celebrating the Communist Party's centenary during the excursion.

2023: State Demolition Continues

On 22 February 2023, AsiaNews.it reported that the police had demolished a diocesan building in Datong which had been used as a residence for priests and nuns.

It had stood for approximately 100 years and had the necessary permits.

Datong Catholics circulated messages asking people to pray for the mayor's “unreasonable behaviour” to stop.

AsiaNews explicitly connected the incident to the 2018 open letter, recalling that Datong Catholics had already complained of increasing government oppression.

There is no public protest or condemnation of the demolition by Monsignor Liu.

Pope Leo appoints archbishop who offered Pachamama ritual

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 22:53:13 +0000

Pope Leo appoints archbishop who offered Pachamama ritual
Bishop Lizardo Estrada Herrera was named coadjutor archbishop of Cusco, Peru, after participating in a Pachamama ritual.

Aug 31, 2026
(LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV named Bishop Lizardo Estrada Herrera, O.S.A, as coadjutor archbishop of Cusco on Saturday, just weeks after Herrera attended a ritual offering to Pachamama.

Per the Vatican daily bulletin on August 29, Pope Leo appointed Bishop Herrera, who had served as the auxiliary bishop of Cusco and as secretary general of the Peruvian bishops’ conference, as coadjutor archbishop, meaning he will become the next ordinary of the archdiocese upon a vacancy.

Earlier this month, during a conference in the same Peruvian city ahead of Leo’s November visit to the country, Herrera attended an Andean ritual dedicated to Pachamama, which involved cocoa leaves, food offerings, and guided breathing exercises.

Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, a priest and canon lawyer who serves in the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and as papal commissioner for clerical sexual abuse cases, notably took an active part in the August 13 pagan ritual. Bishop Miguel Ángel Cadenas of Iquitos, Peru, was also in attendance.

Following the ritual, Michael Hichborn reported that the event was also organized “to dialogue, share their demands, and build agreements around human rights and the common good,” drawing together:

Quote:Representatives of social organizations, indigenous and peasant communities, women’s and youth groups, LGBTIQ+ people, people with disabilities, human and environmental rights defenders, relatives of victims of state violence, and faith communities.

“So, in addition to opening the meeting with idolatrous veneration of a pagan deity, the meeting was held in conjunction with LGBT groups to include such in the promotion of ‘human dignity’ and ‘human rights,’” Hichborn stated in his article.

Exactly a week after the ritual, an “unusually powerful” 6.7-magnitude earthquake that struck near Arequipa was felt by about 2.4 million people, including those in Cusco. Thankfully it appeared to have resulted in no deaths and minimal injuries and structural damage.

Earthquakes have historically been associated with God’s divine punishment for sin. And while this earthquake may not have been the result of God’s punishment, the possibility cannot be ignored.

The Catholic Church teaches that as a result of the fall, evil entered the world and affected nature, creating the possibility for natural disasters.

Indeed, in the book of Genesis, we see God punish the world for its grave sins by destroying it through the great flood, or the deluge, sparing only Noah and his family.

Leo XIV adopts Francis’ ecological language in ‘Care of Creation’ message

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:39:40 +0000

Leo XIV adopts Francis’ ecological language in ‘Care of Creation’ message
Leo XIV's message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation continues Pope Francis' environmental framework, linking war to ‘ecological degradation.’

Pope Leo XIV
Antonio Masiello/Getty Images

Aug 21, 2026
(LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV has called the faithful to “an authentic ecological conversion” in his message for the 2026 World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.

On Thursday, the Holy See Press Office released Leo XIV’s message for the 11th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, to be observed on September 1 under the theme, “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks,” from Isaiah 2:4.

In his message, dated August 15 and published August 20, the Pope links war, poverty, and “ecological degradation,” arguing that “where hearts are renewed, new possibilities begin to open.” This renewal, according to Leo, is “the path of an authentic ecological conversion” – echoing core “green” agenda themes of the Francis pontificate, particularly those articulated in his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’.

“Let us imagine a world in which the energies currently invested in war are directed toward integral human development, to overcoming poverty, protecting human dignity and reconciling divided peoples. Such a vision reflects faith in the coming of God’s Kingdom,” Leo wrote.

The Pope’s message presents war and “social and ecological destruction” as interconnected manifestations of a deeper disorder. “Moreover, the interaction between armed conflicts and environmental degradation often creates a vicious cycle, which destroys ecosystems, contaminates essential resources, such as air and water, and undermines food security. This fuels poverty, inequality, and new social tensions that can contribute to the emergence of further conflicts,” the Pope wrote.

Leo locates the root of these problems within “the human heart.” Referring to [Vatican II's] Gaudium et spes, he describes “violence, injustice, and ecological degradation” as symptoms of “the deeper dichotomy that is rooted in humanity itself.”

“The wounds of war and the degradation of the earth, then, are profoundly linked to the condition of the human heart.… In order to build a peaceful society, therefore, we must not only reform structures but also renew our hearts. The deep-set causes of conflict and the exploitation of creation stem from an ethical and cultural crisis, including the loss of a sense of limits, the desire for domination, the pursuit of immediate profit, and the inability to recognize the God-given dignity of each human person,” the Pope stated.

According to Traditional Catholic teaching, true peace is not simply the result of political negotiation or social compromise but the fruit of conversion to the Social Kingship of Jesus Christ, that is, to the Catholic faith. “When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony,” Pope Pius XI taught (Quas Primas, n. 19).

In Catholic theology, every human activity – political, economic, or spiritual – finds its meaning only when it acknowledges Christ’s sovereignty over individuals and nations. Without this conversion, all human projects, however noble, remain fragile and ultimately doomed to fail, because they attempt to build peace apart from the Prince of Peace Himself.

Additionally, Traditional social doctrine teaches that disorder within creation is not merely the result of human-driven pollution or capitalist economics, but of the deeper wound of original sin. As St. Paul writes, “the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now” (Romans 8:22).

Leo XIV’s message explicitly adopts modern ecological terminology strongly associated with the pontificate of Francis, citing Laudato Si’ and describing several “ecosystems” that Christians are called to safeguard: creation, human relationships, and “the human heart itself.”

The World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation was first established in 1989 by Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I of Constantinople, who invited Christians to dedicate September 1 to prayer and reflection on the environment. The initiative also draws on Jewish creation theology, as stated on the official page of the initiative.

Pope Francis extended the observance to the Catholic Church in 2015, framing it within the vision of the encyclical Laudato Si’ and calling believers to “ecological conversion.”

Leo XIV’s Peru Visit Prepared By Pachamama Offering

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:01:27 +0000

Leo XIV’s Peru Visit Prepared By Pachamama Offering

gloria.tv | August 18, 2026

On 13–14 August, “Entrelazando Voces por la Dignidad,” a regional gathering of social organizations and Indigenous communities, took place in Cusco, Peru. Spanish-language outlets, including Vatican News, linked it to preparations for Pope Leo XIV’s November visit. Bishop Lizardo Estrada Herrera, auxiliary bishop of Cusco and CELAM secretary-general, inaugurated the gathering; Bishop Miguel Ángel Cadenas of Iquitos also attended. InfoVaticana video shows the event opening with an Andean offering to Pachamama/Mother Earth. Participants received coca leaves, performed guided breathing, blew three times on the leaves, and placed them with food offerings in bowls on the ground. Bishop Estrada is shown adding coca leaves to the offering. Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, Vatican official overseeing the dissolution of the community Sodalitium, also took part, placing coca leaves in the offering.

* * *

From Infovaticana [computer translated to English from the original Spanish]:

A pontifical commissioner and a bishop deposit coca in a «payment to the land»: Jordi Bertomeu offeror to Pachamama

August 18, 2026

The South Macroregional Meeting «Interweaving Voices for Dignity», presented by Vatican News as part of the preparation for Leo XIV's visit to Peru, a rite of invocation to Mother Earth with distribution of coca leaves, breathing exercises and food offerings on the ground was opened without any Catholic prayer: in its place.

Among the bidders, as the images show, monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, officer of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and pontifical commissioner for the Sodalitium, that he deposits his coca leaves in the «payment» bowl with visible recollection and that, at the end of his intervention on the Sodalicio case, he turns the sign with his name upside down and leaves the camera shot.

On August 13 and 14, the Southern Macroregional Meeting «Interweaving Voices for Dignity: for human rights and the common good» was held in Cusco, which brought together representatives of social organizations, indigenous communities and groups from nine regions in southern Peru. Peru. The meeting was inaugurated by Monsignor Lizardo Estrada Herrera, auxiliary bishop of Cusco and general secretary of CELAM, and included the participation of Monsignor Miguel Ángel Cadenas, bishop of Iquitos. What the official Vatican News chronicle doesn't tell is how it started — or who else was there.

«It is the month of Mother Earth, who loves us so much»

According to the video spread on social networks, before the presentations a woman led the opening ceremony. «This month of August is very special for us, for the Andean worldview; it is the month of Mother Earth, who loves us so much, who is so affectionate, who is so kind, who gives us food», he explained to those present. In Andean tradition, August is the month in which Pachamama is «fed» through offerings and «payments to the land».

Immediately afterwards, coca leaves were distributed among all attendees and guided breathing exercises were carried out: «we are seeing how our interior is», indicated the officiant, while those present closed their eyes. «This body, this body that we inhabit is little land, it is territory», he continued.

The rite culminated with the deposit of coca leaves in bowls arranged on an altar on the ground, along with food —including cheese— offered to the earth: «we thank the earth in this important month; we give it three breaths when depositing them», instructed the director of the ceremony. The gesture of blowing three times on the coca leaves before offering them is part of the Andean ritual of «payment» or dispatch to Pachamama.

The video does not contain any Catholic prayer, blessing, or Trinitarian invocation. The spiritual part of the opening of the meeting was covered, entirely, by the rite of the Andean worldview. The bishops were present in the room, although for much of the ceremony they were left out of the camera shot.

[See original link above for videos]

Bertomeu, offering with recollection and departure hiding the sign with his name
The most striking attendee of the meeting does not appear in the Vatican News chronicle: Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, officer of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, trusted man of the Holy See in the most delicate files in Latin America and pontifical commissioner for the case of the Sodalitium of Christian Life.

The images show him participating fully in the rite: Bertomeu deposits the coca leaves in the bowl of the «pago», with visible recollection, immediately after the auxiliary bishop of Cusco. There is no evidence that he limited himself to witnessing the ceremony: he offered as another participant.

Its subsequent behavior is equally striking. The presentations begin immediately after the Pachamamic rite and, when Bertomeu takes the floor to tell the audience about his performance in the Sodalicio case, the camera focuses on the audience at all times, not the speaker. As if he had requested not to be documented there. When finished, the images capture him turning the sign with his name upside down on the table and leaving the camera shot. An official of the doctrinal dicastery of the Holy See who offers coca leaves to Mother Earth and who, immediately afterwards, ensures that there is no visible record of his presence at the event: each one will draw their conclusions about why he obeys so much discretion,and whether participation in Pachamamic rites is the type of image that suits whoever represents the Pope as pontifical commissioner. This medium has tried to contact Jordi Bertomeu but has not been attended to.

An ecclesial event, not an alien act

The worrying thing is that this is not an event of civil organizations that the Church attended as a guest. The meeting was inaugurated by the general secretary of CELAM himself, who set the framework by appealing to the Social Doctrine of the Church: «the defense of human dignity, justice, peace and the common good are not matters foreign to faith», said Monsignor Estrada, who formulated the objective of moving «from scattered voices to a shared word [...] and from proposals to concrete commitments». The format responds to the meetings that the social pastoral structures and vicariates of the southern Andean region organize together with the National Human Rights Coordinator.

Among the speakers were Tania Pariona, executive secretary of the National Human Rights Coordinator and former congresswoman from Nuevo Perú; Cusco congresswoman Ruth Luque, from the same political orbit; José Antonio Lapa, director of Human Rights Without Borders; and Victoria Taco, from the Espinar Platform for People Affected by Toxic Metals.

Vatican News highlights it; the rite and Bertomeu, silenced

The display that the Vatican media has given to the meeting is striking. Vatican News dedicated an extensive chronicle to him —reproduced by other media— in which the episcopal prominence is highlighted and the event is framed, expressly, in the path of preparation for the next visit of Pope Leo XIV to Peru. In that chronicle there is not a single line about the opening ceremony: neither coca leaves, nor «payment to the land», nor the month of Pachamama. Nor a single mention of Bertomeu, despite the fact that he spoke before the audience immediately after the ceremony. The contrast between what the images show and what the official story tells is, in itself, significant:the meeting is publicized as a prelude to the papal trip and it is omitted that it was a confessionally pagan act with the presence of an officer from the Dicastery of the prefect Victor Manuel Fernández.

Questions remain open: was the rite on the official program? Who directed it and by what? Do the organizers consider that a «payment to the land» can replace Christian prayer at the opening of a Church meeting? And does the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith consider active participation in offerings to Pachamama compatible with the function of its officers? As long as there are no answers, the images speak for themselves.

Leo XIV calls for respect for 'the rites promulgated by Pope Saint Paul VI and Pope Saint John Paul

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 12:53:25 +0000

Leo XIV Backs Liturgical Program after 'Traditionis Custodes'

gloria.tv | August 14, 2026

Leo XIV has sent a message to Cardinal Arthur Roche, Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship. The occasion is a meeting at Mount Angel Abbey in Oregon devoted to liturgical formation. Dated June 29, the brief message was published today in the Vatican bulletin.

The text appears to reinforce Cardinal Roche’s recent statement that Leo XIV does not intend to abolish Traditionis Custodes.

Leo XIV calls for respect for “the rites promulgated by Pope Saint Paul VI and Pope Saint John Paul II.” He adds that this respect must spring from “sincere fidelity to ecclesial communion.”

Furthermore, Leo XIV relies heavily on Francis’ 2022 Apostolic Letter Desiderio Desideravi, quoting it several times. That document was closely connected to the post Traditionis Custodes liturgical program and contains a strong defence of the post-Vatican II reform.

Umberto Longo: a Freemason appointed to the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 12:51:19 +0000

Umberto Longo: a Freemason appointed to the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences

InfoVaticana [Slightly adapted - not all hyperlinks included from original] | August 15, 2026

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Italian historian Umberto Longo, director of the Istituto Storico Italiano per il Medio Evo and full professor of Medieval History at La Sapienza University of Rome, as a member of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences. The appointment was officially announced by the Holy See on August 13, together with those of Francesco Cesareo and Anna Barańska, and reported by Vatican News.

The relevant fact is that Longo’s membership in Freemasonry does not simply follow from his attendance at conferences organized by lodges. There are documents published by Italian Masonic institutions themselves that present him as a “Fratello,” attribute to him specific degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, and place him in internal positions. The documentation is considerably stronger than what a mere proximity to Masonic circles might suggest.

The first evidence appears in Logos, the publication of the Regional Inspectorate of Lazio of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, corresponding to 2013. On the page dedicated to the “Cariche per il 2013” of the Loggia di Perfezione Maestri Segreti «Giano», Oriente di Roma, it expressly lists “Fr. Oratore Umberto Longo 4°”. The magazine itself immediately clarifies that the degrees indicated are those held by each “Fratello” at the time of assuming office.

We are not, therefore, dealing with the name of an external guest. “Fr.” means Fratello, brother; “Oratore” is the position Longo held within that Lodge of Perfection, and “4°” indicates his degree in the Scottish Rite. The same issue of Logos also publishes various works under the heading “Le Tavole del Fr. Oratore Umberto Longo 4°” —nine ritual tables engraved for the Lodge’s work during 2013— and a study on the history of the Rite again signed “Fr. Umberto Longo 4°”. In the introduction, the Regional Inspector for Lazio expressly presents the fascicle as the collection of the tables engraved “a cura dell’Oratore Fr. Umberto Longo 4°”.

To this documentation is added a second official source, this time from the Grande Oriente d’Italia. Its magazine Erasmo, issue 7-8 of 2013, reports on a “Tornata di I° Grado” held on March 25 at the Casa Massonica Romana in Piazzale degli Archivi. The chronicle explains that numerous brothers and Worshipful Masters participated and expressly lists among the latter Umberto Longo. It was not an open academic congress, but ritual Masonic work of the first degree.

But probably the most significant documentary evidence appears when crossing two different sources from 2014. On July 8, 2014, the official website of the Grande Oriente d’Italia announced that Umberto Longo would deliver the following day, within the so-called “Luglio Scozzese” organized by the Regional Inspectorate of Lazio, a lecture entitled “La via dinamica di perfezionamento dei Cavalieri Scozzesi. Tradizione e ritualità, rigenerazione e universalità”.

That same work, with exactly the same title, appears published in the 2014 issue of Logos, the magazine of the Scottish Rite. And there the author is unequivocally identified as “Fr. U. Longo 9°”. The Grande Oriente publicly attributes the lecture to Umberto Longo; the Scottish Rite publication reproduces that same intervention and attributes it to “Brother U. Longo,” ninth degree. The same issue also includes the “Tavola d’Agape 2013 del Fr. Oratore U. Longo 9°”: the annual ritual agape of the “Giano” Lodge, whose prayer was once again delivered by the same Orator whom the magazine had identified the previous year with full name and surname.

The content of the text is equally revealing. Longo does not write from the perspective of an external researcher describing the rituals as a historical object. He speaks of the “privilege of participating in an initiation rite”, of using the instruments that “Freemasonry makes available”, and of the aspirations of Masons and the duties of Scottish Knights.

The documentation does not end in 2014. In Logos of 2015 appears another intervention entitled “La piramide rituale scozzese”, signed “Fr. U. Longo 9°”. The text is again written unequivocally from within the Rite. Longo uses expressions such as “nel rituale di IV Grado ci sono stati fatti compiere” and, even more explicitly, “Come massoni e scozzesi abbiamo quindi…”: “As Masons and Scots, therefore, we have…”. It is difficult to conceive of a more direct formulation regarding the condition from which the author writes.

The identification admits no doubt

LifeSiteNews, which reported on the case on August 14, introduced some formal caution regarding the identification between the “Fr. Umberto Longo” of the ritual publications and the professor at La Sapienza. The cross-referencing of the primary sources makes that caution untenable.

In 2019, the Grande Oriente d’Italia again included Umberto Longo as a speaker —presented as a historian, alongside Carlo Ricotti— at the congress organized in Rome by the “Dio e Popolo” lodge no. 786 and the Collegio Circoscrizionale dei Maestri Venerabili del Lazio on the occasion of the 170th anniversary of the Roman Republic.

And in December 2022 the identification is sealed by the very organization of the event. Longo participated in Venice in a conference dedicated to Hugo Pratt and the initiatory universe of Corto Maltese, and the organizing entity expressly identified the speaker as “prof. Umberto Longo, professore ordinario di Storia Medievale a La Sapienza Università di Roma”. The event was sponsored by the Fondazione Scozzese Triveneta; the closing greetings were delivered by Gian-Paolo Barbi, Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite; and the honorary president of the organizing association was Luigi Milazzi, exactly the same Sovereign Grand Commander who heads the organizational chart of the Supreme Council in the issues of Logos from 2013, 2014, and 2015 in which “Fr. Umberto Longo” signs. The professor at La Sapienza who speaks on esotericism under Scottish sponsorship in 2022, before the leadership of the Rite, is the same person whom the Rite had been publishing as a brother of the fourth and ninth degrees.

The sequence established by the open sources is, therefore, unequivocal: in 2013 Longo appears in internal documentation as “Fr. Oratore Umberto Longo 4°” and the Grande Oriente includes him among the Worshipful Masters present at a ritual meeting; in 2014 the Scottish Rite publishes as “Fr. U. Longo 9°” exactly the same lecture that the Grande Oriente publicly attributes to Umberto Longo; in 2015 he again signs as ninth degree a text in which he speaks in the first person as a member of the “Masons and Scots”; in 2019 the Grande Oriente presents him as a speaker at one of its lodges; and in 2022 he speaks, identified by name, surname, and chair, at an event sponsored by a Scottish foundation and closed by the Sovereign Grand Commander of the Rite.

There is, therefore, more than sufficient primary documentation to establish that Umberto Longo belongs to Freemasonry, held positions in a Lodge of Perfection, and attained at least the ninth degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. No public source records any act of abandonment, resignation, or rupture with the institution; on the contrary, his connection with the circles of the Rite is documented continuously at least until December 2022, barely three and a half years before his pontifical appointment. If Longo had ceased to be a Mason, it is up to him—or to the Holy See, which appointed him—to prove it. The documents published by the Masonic organizations themselves say what they say.

What the Church teaches about Freemasonry

The appointment takes on special relevance in light of the Church’s position on Freemasonry. The Declaration on Freemasonry of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of 1983, signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and approved by John Paul II, establishes that the Church’s negative judgment remains unchanged because the principles of Masonic associations are incompatible with Catholic doctrine. Membership remains prohibited, and the faithful enrolled in them are, the document states, in a state of grave sin and cannot receive Holy Communion.

The Holy See reiterated that position in November 2023, when the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith recalled, with the approval of Pope Francis, that the active membership of a faithful in Freemasonry is prohibited by the “irreconcilability between Catholic doctrine and Freemasonry.”

It is not recorded that Umberto Longo is Catholic, so it would not be correct to automatically transfer to him the canonical consequences that those documents establish for the faithful. Nor is that the question: the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences is an academic body that has included non-Catholic members. The question raised by his appointment is another, and more serious: Leo XIV has incorporated into a pontifical body—precisely the one in charge of historical sciences, a field where historiography inspired by Freemasonry has its own well-known agenda regarding the Risorgimento, the Papal States, or the historical processes of the Church—a Mason of the ninth degree of the Scottish Rite, brother, Worshipful Master, and officer of a Lodge of Perfection according to the official publications of the Rite and the Grande Oriente d’Italia themselves.

The evidence does not come from anonymous lists, leaks, or accusations by third parties. It has been published for years on the official pages of Italian Freemasonry. The question that remains in the air is who prepared the proposal for the appointment and what filter was applied—if any was applied—before placing it on the Pope’s desk. This medium has requested comments from the interested party and from the Holy See Press Office.