Pope Leo and the Neocatechumenal Way

Soon after attending the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Cardinal Secretary of State of Vatican City, said this about Pope Leo:

I’ve always felt this serenity in Cardinal Prevost. I met him at the beginning of my service as Secretary of State for a thorny issue concerning the Church in Peru, where he was bishop of the diocese of Chiclayo. I then had the opportunity to work directly with him over the past two years, after Pope Francis called him to Rome and entrusted him with the Dicastery for Bishops.

And just what was this “thorny issue”?

Pope Leo XIV was once assigned to be the apostolic administrator “sede vacante” of the diocese of Callao in Peru after the abrupt resignation of the bishop of Callao, José Luis del Palacio.  This story, which is eerily similar to the story that played out in the Archdiocese of Agana (Guam) several years before, shows that our new Pope certainly knows the Neocatechumenal Way well.

Bishop Del Palacio was a member of the Neocatechumenal Way from Spain prior to being appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 to oversee the diocese of Callao. It seems that his initiatives in that diocese caused a great deal of division there.

Here is his goodbye message to the diocese:

We have obtained some details from an article in Religion Digital (translated into English):

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The Pope fires the Spanish bishop ‘kiko’ of Callao, after pressure from the faithful of the diocese

15.04.2020 Jesús Bastante

They told him “on the day of the Easter Vigil”, as he himself acknowledged in a message to the faithful of El Callao. At 70 years of age, Pope Francis has ‘fired’ the Spaniard José Luis del Palacio, the bishop of the ‘kikos’ in the Peruvian diocese, and who had become one of the main opponents of Francis’ reforms in the country’s Church.

After eight years, and after what some sources point out as “a summary process” of which no details have been given, Del Palacio cedes his post as the bishop of Chiclayo to the Augustinian Robert Francis Prevost, who will serve as diocesan administrator.

Although no details have been given about his dismissal – other sources speculate that it is a matter of health problems – the truth is that for months many priests of a progressive tint had denounced abuse and death threats by members of the Way. At that time, the Diocese issued a statement in which it showed its “solidarity” and reiterated its “closeness to the possible victims of such threats.”

“I forgive and I ask for forgiveness”

“Of course I forgive those brothers who have offended me and have defamed me, and I have no resentment in my heart, may God bless them,” concludes Del Palacio’s message, who asks forgiveness “from everyone for my character, for my sins, we are all sinners, I ask for your forgiveness,” although he does not specify what they are.

The truth, according to sources close to him, is that the relationship with the parishioners had been deteriorating, and many criticized Del Palacio for traveling a lot to Europe to seek subsidies and aid, which almost all served to promote the implementation of the Neocatechumenal Way in Peru.

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We cannot conclude from this that Pope Leo is an “enemy” of the Neocatechumenal Way, but it is certain that he is aware of the damage that they cause.

Sources

Bastante, Jesus. “El Papa fulmina al obispo ‘kiko’ español del Callao, tras la presión de los fieles de la diócesis.” Religion Digital, 14 April 2020, https://www.religiondigital.org/america/Papa-fulmina-espanol-Callao-diocesis-kikos_0_2222777720.html. Accessed 9 May 2025.

“Parolin on Robert Prevost’s election as Pope Leo XIV.” Aleteia, 20 May 2025, https://aleteia.org/2025/05/20/parolin-on-robert-prevosts-election-as-pope-leo-xiv. Accessed 24 May 2025.

“Un ‘kiko’ español, obispo de El Callao (Perú).” Periodista Digital, 12 December 2011, https://www.periodistadigital.com/cultura/religion/america/20111212/kiko-espanol-obispo-callao-peru-noticia-689401733856/. Accessed 9 May 2025.