Leo XIV Appoints Curia Archbishop: "Good Thing" That Francis Supported Homosexual Blessings
First, he appointed Bishop Anthony Randazzo, 59, of Broken Bay, Australia, as President of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, making him an archbishop.
Monsignor Randazzo was a member of the 2023–24 Synod on Synodality.
"Good Thing", that Francis Spoke Out in Support of Homosex Blessings
During a Synod press conference in October 2023 - before the publication of Fiducia Supplicans in December of that year - Monsignor Randazzo was asked whether it was helpful that Pope Francis had said, in the context of blessings for homosexual unions, that “pastoral charity” requires understanding, and that priests should not act as judges who merely deny, reject, or exclude.
Bishop Randazzo replied: "I think it's a good thing that the Holy Father took the lead, and he's good at that."
"He is able to address issues that affect people by listening to them and not dismissing them."
He added, "Nobody expects to pick fruit off a newly planted tree, so sometimes it takes time to bear fruit."
Female Ordinations Should Be Discussed
In October 2024, Monsignor Randazzo spoke at the Synod press briefing on female ordinations. He said the topic is being driven by a large, powerful Western voice.
He added, "I have no problem with this issue being discussed and studied, as the Holy Father has rightly said."
In Catholicism, discussing the ordination of women is as pointless as discussing the use of chocolate for Holy Communion.
Supporter of Francis-era Synodality
After the end of the 2024 Synod, Monsignor Randazzo said in a YouTube video that he had learnt a great deal from the experience of listening, and that expanding his understanding of a "synodal church" had been a powerful experience.
He wants to "unpack and continue to live the synodal culture" at home.
Following the Pope's election in May 2025, Monsignor Randazzo told BBC.com that Leo XIV had "walked with Pope Francis" and worked as his collaborator, describing a "wonderful synergy" between them.
Promoting an Immoral Theologian to Archbishop
The second decision made by Pope Leo XIV today was to appoint Monsignor Renzo Pegoraro, 66, as an archbishop. He has been president of the Pontifical Academy for Life since 27 May 2025 and was one of Leo XIV's earliest bad appointments.
In 2022, Monsignor Pegoraro told WSJ.com that artificial contraception, which is intrinsically evil, might be permissible. He cited "a conflict between the need to avoid pregnancy for medical reasons and the preservation of a couple’s sex life" as an example.
"The letter of the law can change, but not to invalidate it; rather, to deepen its meaning and promote the values at stake," he said.
In February 2026, he declined to answer the question of institutional responsibility if abortion is promoted in a Catholic university. He replied that there is a need for dialogue and for helping women.
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