Leo XIV and His Priests: A Time for Healing Balm

With Leo XIV, the Church regains the tone of a father who heals, not a judge who divides.

For twelve long years, the priesthood has been under scrutiny—almost as if the presbyteral ministry were more a problem to be fixed than a treasure to be safeguarded.
In too many official speeches, we have heard harsh, sometimes even scornful words against “clericalism,” against “worldly priests,” against a presbyterate often portrayed with stereotypical traits—more as a hindrance than as leaven. Even when real issues were raised—and no one denies their existence—the dominant tone was not that of a father who accompanies and encourages, but rather that of a censor who stigmatizes and divides.