There are many loose ends from Pope Francis’ time as pope that Pope Leo XIV will need to clean up.
These are the ones that I see as important, although our new Holy Father may have other things in mind apart from my grocery list:
1. TC: Not only is this document cruel as well as later legislation approved by the pope, it is anti-synodal and removes responsibility for the liturgy of the Church from the local bishop, even micromanaging bulletins and what Liturgies can be listed and what can’t. Apart from its authoritarian content, its ecclesiology is questionable. Grotesque discontinuity between the previous Pope Benedict and the new Pope Francis could not be more clear. These hermeneutic of discontinuity and the completely authoritarian nature of the document as well as its cruelty needs to be addressed by Pope Leo.
2. FS: This is not a development of doctrine or deepening of the doctrine of blessings, but a virus to change the nature of marriage acceptable in the Church. It is a move to bless same sex or LGBTQ+++ relationships, to bless the sexual union not just the people. It was not needed because at every Mass and other occasion when a public blessing is given, sinners as individuals are blessed too. The graces of the blessing are conditioned, though, on the openness of the person to the blessing and the on-going repentance and conversion that every soul needs. Blessing couples or polygamists as such implies blessing the sinful lifestyle. Pope Leo needs to address the heterodoxy of this document or the development of heterodoxy this document has already produced in some dioceses.
3. Amoris laetitia is a good document except for one little old virus producing footnote. That footnote must be eliminated and an authoritative interpretation of AL must be offered by the new pontiff.
4. Visitation of more traditional Religious Orders while neglecting Liberal Religious Orders which are out of control, like the Jesuits. Fairness in visitations should be established as well as transparency for the visitation.
7 comments:
Pope Leo has a very full plate, is essentially 70yrs old, and why I had hoped for a younger pope with enough remaining lifespan to not only deal with the numerous extremely pressing problems, but also who would stick around long enough to make sure they stayed fixed rather than just signed off on with a wink and a nod by entrenched churchmen, or them outright foot dragging and outlasting a reformer.
Father McDonald,
Here is an article by Father Cipolla who believes that with the election of Pope Leo, the "spirit of Vatican II" is dead. I pray he is right. He also points out some stark contrasts between Pope Leo and Francis when they came out onto the balcony following election. The contrasts could not be more stark.
https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2025/05/personal-reflections-on-election-of.html#more
Good morning Father,
While I agree that corrections are needed in a sense, especially with TC, the rest you mention is a double edged sword.
Does it restore some orthodoxy and clarity? Yes. But at the same time the correction COULD open some pandora’s boxes:
(1) Making any sort of declaration against these documents as heterodox could lead to the diminishing of at least the infallability of Pope Francis and declare him a heretic. Even IF Leo XIV is able to demonstrate square in the circle/this was a practical error of application NOT divine error against Infallibility, fence Catholics and enemies of the church would have more reason to say “well if a prior pope’s works can be undone there is no certainty in faith.
(2) At the worst it could put into question the doctrine of Infallibility itself. Even if Leo XIV wields it properly, the very dismantling of anything further than TC can open the door to that thinking
(3) If Pope Leo attacks the “most fluffiest “liberal” loving Pope EVUH … he could open the door to a Church war and even internal schism.”
Honestly I am NOt putting my hopes on him doing ANY of what you wish Father. He’s not a stupid Pope.
Hi Julian, thanks for your comment. If I use the term that Leo XIV should declare certain papal documents as heterodox, that term would not be the best for a pope to use against a previous pope. But, keep in mind, that it was Pope Francis who undid a papal Motu Proprio, authoritative but not in the same category as an encyclical or bull. He clearly contradicted Pope Benedict when Pope Francis said that the Modern Rite is the exclusive Rite of the Church (which isn’t true, as the Eastern Rites have their own rites too and the Latin Rite has other rites within it!). Pope Benedict said there were two expressions of the one Roman Rite, Ordinary (new one) and Extraordinary (ancient one). Pope Francis’s TC implies that Pope Benedict was heterodox in what he placed into writing in an official papal document, not an off-the-cuff remark! At any rate, a refinement of FS, TC and AL is what is needed by Pope Leo XVI. How he will do that remains to be seen. But also keep in mind there have been no infallible dogmas by a pope alone since Vatican II except for two, the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption. We should not imply that in any document not declared infallible by a pope that what is said is infallible unless he is quoting some that is infallible already.
Meant to write, since Vatican I.
Patience is a virtue. It will be needed to get through this docket.
Thank you for your reply Father. Overall I have good vibes and hope for Pope Leo XIV. I’ve started to tune back into the blogosphere because he’s our new Holy Father.
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