Posted on 06/24/2025 5:24:54 PM PDT by ebb tide
Pope Leo today appointed a rank of members to the Vatican office overseeing religious orders and the Latin Mass communities, including some cardinals who have opposed the traditional Mass and supported blessings for same-sex couples.
As outlined in the Holy See Press Office bulletin on June 24, Leo XIV appointed 19 new members to the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (DICLSAL).
The new members include 5 cardinals, 5 bishops, 4 priests, 4 religious woman and one lay woman.
Among the cardinals are certain notable figures, such as:
Other non-cardinalatial appointments to the dicastery include male and female religious superiors, along with Luisa Muston, a lay woman who leads the secular institute called the Missionaries of the Infirm “Christ the Hope.”
It is quite normal for cardinals to be appointed to various offices of the Roman Curia, particularly so for those who are already working in the Curia or who have occasion to be in Rome more frequently.
On May 9, Pope Leo already requested all Curia leaders, members, and secretaries to remain temporarily in place until further notice, meaning that a notable number of cardinals are already members of the dicastery.
But the names nevertheless always contain significance and can highlight preferences identified by the reigning Pontiff for particular Roman offices.
Pizzaballa is perceived as a conservative member of the College of Cardinals, as is Marengo, while others named by the Pope today would align more with liberal or “moderate” sectors on varying issues.
Roche is already prominent and well known for his opposition to the traditional Mass.
But Spengler and Romero have gained less notoriety in the English speaking world. Romero was raised to the episcopate by Pope Francis in 2018, made cardinal in 2019, and participated most recently in the Synod on Synodality.
Following Fiducia Supplicans and the furor over blessing same-sex couples, Romero deviated from the Africa-wide rejection of the document led by Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, and later defended his position on the text when asked by this correspondent.
The document became one of the most hotly contested of Pope Francis’ pontificate, with many theologians and prelates calling on Pope Leo to issue a formal clarification of the text.
Spengler has also defended the text. In a 2023 interview he commented that that Church “can’t deny” blessings on same-sex couples, adding that the Church must “meet every authentically human need.”
More uniquely, Spengler has been linked to the controversial “Amazon rite” of the liturgy. Created cardinal in December, Spengler told me in October that married deacons and priests may be a help for regions with few priests, adding that the Amazon rite and indigenous inculturation of the liturgy is taking place in Brazil.
He confirmed that the local Amazonian bishops were “speaking of the possibility of a specific rite for the Amazon region – this is a fact.” However he also sought to link back to the universal Church, noting that “on the other hand there is also something that says the following guidance: today in the Latin Church we have the Roman rite and the Roman rite must be inculturated in the different realities.”
Speaking to The Pillar around the consistory in December, Spengler downplayed the idea of an Amazon rite or of female deacons and married clergy. Such questions, he said, “require further study.”
Continuing, he stated:
I always like to say that there is a single rite in the [Latin] Church: The Roman rite and this rite needs to be and is called to be adapted to the different cultural realities. Creating the conditions for this adaptation requires, I believe, the best means for us to find the necessary means for inculturation to happen harmoniously. It’s not a question of bringing in a rite from outside to make reality adapt to it. Moreover, how many cultures are there in that reality?
For a long time the DICLSAL has flown somewhat under the radar, apart for those keen to stay abreast of Vatican affairs. But under Pope Francis it has become increasingly prominent, especially due to the document Cor Orans and Vultum Dei Quaerere, which ushered in tighter Vatican control over religious life and has been widely – though often quietly – used against convents and religious orders noted for being too traditional for the liking of Roman officials.
In addition to restricting already existing groups, a 2022 Rescript via the dicastery prevented diocesan bishops from autonomously establishing any groups of the faithful looking to become religious institutes or societies, in a move which was described as an attempt to prevent any new traditional communities from being formed.
Not least in the reasons for the dicastery’s new found prominence is the highly controversial appointment by Pope Francis of a religious woman – Sister Simona Brambilla, M.C. – as the prefect, rather than a cardinal, earlier this year. In order to attempt to satisfy the canonical requirement which is necessary when signing documents or wielding authority, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime SDB was made the pro-prefect.
Since Pope Francis’ Latin Mass restrictions contained within Traditionis Custodes, Sr. Brambilla’s dicastery has key responsibility for overseeing the orders which celebrate the traditional Mass: such as the Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), Institute of Christ the King Soverign Priest (CKSP), Institute of the Good Shepherd (IBP).
The FSSP is currently undergoing an Apostolic Visitation from the dicastery, after having a meeting with Pope Francis in 2022 who confirmed their constitutions and that they are exempt from the “general provisions” of Traditionis Custodes.
The arrival of a staunch anti-traditionalist figure such as Cardinal Roche to the dicastery will be key to observe what impact such an appointment has for the future of these traditional communities. It was only last year that Cardinal Gerhard Müller remarked that “a senior representative” from Roche’s office was dismayed to hear of the popularity of the Latin Mass Chartres pilgrimage, solely due to the traditional Mass being celebrated.
As of the past few weeks, the dicastery now has a female religious serving as secretary, a move welcomed by activists as a sign of continued female leadership in the Church under Leo.
The “Roach” is above all, a company man, though. Ultimately the determination whether to continue waging (or to stand down in) the asinine jihad against the TLM will be made by the pope himself. He can’t sit on the fence forever.
“Cockroche ruling over traditional religious communities is not at all encouraging.”
I wouldn’t worry, the future Imam of Roma will clean things up.
Oh, oh ebby. The cartoon network is getting shaky. Send in the clowns!
Why? You're already here.
Not good news.
Popes are not elected to sit on the fence.
Indeed. But I’m cautiously optimistic based on the “vibe shift”... cf.:
https://x.com/CatholicSat/status/1937470982517666040
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
amen.....sadly.
I understand your point, and I don’t want to be Pollyanna-ish but we don’t know how many of these appointments were already in motion from the Bergoglio era. And also it’s worth remembering that JP2 and B16 appointed their share of liberals and losers too, and I’m hoping we should read too much into appointments at this stage.
Good one!
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