Posted on 02/21/2026 5:57:01 PM PST by ebb tide
In an apparent attempt to prevent “polarization,” Pope Leo XIV has transferred a diocesan bishop in West Africa to a nearby archdiocese to serve as an auxiliary bishop after the bishop had sought to ensure priests under his care were living holy and chaste lives.
In what has been called an “unusual but not unprecedented move,” Leo named Bishop Gaspard Béby Gnéba the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Abidjan on February 19. Gnéba was previously the head of the Diocese of Man, where he served starting in 2008 at the age of 44.
Gnéba’s apparent demotion was seemingly the result of friction that resulted from a strong statement he published in 2024 encouraging clergy in the diocese to be dedicated to their priestly vocation. He also urged laity to inform him about those who were not living up to their state in life.
“Any lay faithful who knows that a Priest is not faithful to his celibacy, that he has a wife or a child, that he has committed sexual abuse or economic crimes, must have the courage to denounce him to the Bishop,” Gnéba said in a letter published in January of 2024.
One month prior to his letter in December 2023, the bishops of the Ivory Coast urged priests to remain orthodox by not performing blessings of homosexual “couples” or others in an “irregular situation.”
READ: How ‘seamless garment’ theology explains Pope Leo’s stances on major issues
“We your Archbishops and Bishops, your spiritual guides of the Catholic Church in Côte d’Ivoire, reaffirm our attachment to the values of the family, of the sacrament of marriage between a man and a woman, as God has intended since the beginning,” Msgr. Marcellin Yao Kouadio, president of the conference of bishops of the Catholic Church of Cote d’Ivoire said in a statement.
Gnéba’s decision to urge laity to inform him about misbehavior clergy annoyed some of the priests in the diocese. The fallout became so intense that the Vatican commissioned an apostolic visitation in August later that year. Eventually, in December 2024, Pope Francis asked former Abidjan archbishop Cardinal Jean-Pierre Kutwa to lead the Man diocese as its apostolic administrator while Gnéba remained on as bishop but in a clearly subordinate role.
Clergy in the diocese were distraught over the demotion. On December 31, 2024, priests in the diocese issued a joint letter expressing “regret” over the “unfortunate situation” that “swept” through the diocese.
“We, the Priests of the Diocese of Man, take this opportunity to express our profound gratitude to the Archbishops and Bishops of Ivory Coast for their relentless efforts to resolve this crisis. Additionally, we extend our deepest regrets for all that has transpired,” the statement said.
On Thursday, February 19, Leo named Gnéba the auxiliary bishop of Abidjan, apparently in an attempt to cool the temperature in the diocese, though some will surely see it as punishment of a bishop who merely wanted to ensure priests are not falling into sin.
The Archdiocese of Abidjan has more than 2.6 million Catholics. With Gnéba serving as its sole auxiliary, an increased workload will surely be required.
|
Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. |
The "SinNodal Church":
Ping
Suppress reporting of priests who violate their vows of chastity.
Seems like a good strategy for achieving another sex abuse scandal, if that’s what one is looking for.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.