www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Pope Leo XIV Elected! Axios!

Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost has been elected as Bishop of Rome! Axios!

While reading up on his biography posted by Vatican News [vaticannews.va], the following stood out to me:
"Meanwhile, on October 4, 2023, Pope Francis appointed him as a member of the Dicasteries for Evangelization (Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches), for the Doctrine of the Faith, for the Eastern Churches, for the Clergy, for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, for Culture and Education, for Legislative Texts, and of the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State."

This would suggest he is familiar with Eastern Churches. Any thoughts on what this means (either for the Church as a whole or for us Easterners in particular)?

Seems promising given that his previous namesake wrote Orientalium Dignitas, On the Churches of the East

https://www.papalencyclicals.net/leo13/l13orient.htm

Is it true that he was named as someone who did a bad job reporting on abuse cases? I have heard the claim making the circles online already but can't seem to find verification on it from anything semi-official. I can't imagine he would be elected if this were true since it would undermine his whole papacy from the beginning in the eyes of the public. Perhaps just the noise of anti-catholics who can't let anyone enjoy anything? Lol

Don't know enough about him. Not only is he the first American Pope, but, he is also a naturalized citizen of Peru, so, he's also the first PERUVIAN Pope.
Let's pray for him, either way.
As an American and a Catholic, I think we're living in interesting times. I don't think we're going to have an Italian Pope again for a while.

Christ is in our midst!!


I have just read a commentary on that accusation. It seems that the accusation in his diocese in Peru was found not to be credible. There was a second about a priest being allowed to stay at an Augustinian friary in Chicago after being removed from the priesthood after a credible accusation, but His Holiness was not the superior of that province or that friary at the time this was supposed to have occurred.

The noise is being made by BishopAccountability.org, a source without much credibility.

Well this is a good sign:

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2025-05/rome-hosts-jubilee-of-eastern-churches-may.html

I can't find the news, but I read somewhere that Pope Leo XIV intends to meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Nicaea soon, to celebrate the one thousand and seven hundredth anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.

Hey Erik, this says something about the meeting, Pope prepares to meet with Ecumenical Patriarch [risu.ua]

Thank you. Will other patriarchs also attend the meeting? I haven't seen any news about it either, but it is a very important celebration for all of Christianity.

It would be a great time for the Latin Church to publicly drop the Filioque from their version of the creed and return to the actual creed like the rest of the Church! That would be a huge step forward on the Latin side to bring the Greeks to the table in a more serious manner to try and end this schism once and for all.

Or perhaps it is a great time for the Patriarchs and Major Archbishops of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches to excommunicate people who insist on promoting schisms and accusing particular churches of heresies.

I don't think there is any single thing can be done that would make unity possible without causing scandal and/or schism on at least one side of the current divide. For example, dropping the Filioque would likely cause spiritual harm to a good number of Roman Catholics. Meanwhile, excommunicating people for trying to uphold beliefs that are ingrained on both sides has the risk of causing further schisms. Maybe we just need to be patient and let the tides of the Holy Spirit slowly guide us back together. We seem to already be making good progress. I say let's keep moving along this path while the fruits remain good.

You are absolutely right. St. Mark of Ephesus has already shown us that a union that requires one side to abandon its beliefs or particularities is not a true union. Personally, I do not like the idea that union could only occur if the Latin Church abandoned several of its characteristics (such as the use of the Filioque); in my opinion, this would only make the Latin Church cease to be Latin, and the same problem arises with the Latinization of the Eastern Churches or other similar processes (the Melkites, for example, originally followed the Coptic and Syriac rites, not the Greek rite). Yesterday, May 18, was the feast day of St. Erik Jedvardsson, a saint celebrated by Lutherans, Catholics, and Orthodox alike. Surely, God will unite our churches again when He pleases.

This thread has deviated from its beginning. If the members wish to discuss unity/union/communion, may I suggest starting a new thread in another section.

Bob
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