Archbishop Gänswein: “Normality is slowly returning” with Leo XIV
The former secretary to Pope Benedict XVI has renewed his early praise for Leo XIV, while also warning of the inherent danger of synodality in the Church.
(PerMariam) — Archbishop Georg Gänswein has welcomed Leo XIV’s early months as Pope, saying that “normality is slowly returning,” but warning also about inherent dangers of “synodality” which is still promoted.
In May 2025, Archbishop Gänswein commented about Leo’s first days that “I sense some widespread relief. The season of arbitrariness is over.”
Now several months later, the Papal Nuncio to Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia has expanded on his initial assessment, offering a nuanced appraisal of the Leonine pontificate and thus rejecting the critique of many who have condemned it from afar.
“To put it somewhat idiosyncratically – normality is slowly returning,” he told EWTN’s Rudolf Gehrig this week. “Above all, there has been a change for the better in the atmosphere, which I believe is important because the difficulties that existed have really taken on a whole new positive dimension with the change of pontificate. I consider that helpful.”
Serving as the private secretary to Pope Benedict XVI and Prefect of the Papal Household under Pope Francis, Gänswein has an acute sense of the manner in which Francis’s pontificate significantly changed the structure and style of Vatican life. Indeed many on either side of the theological debate have used the term “revolution” to describe the Argentinian’s rule.
But for Gänswein, Leo’s gradual “normalization” is important and not found so much in the headline-catching developments but at the lower level of daily life around the Vatican:
I used the term normalization. For me, it is important, at least visually and acoustically, to see that Pope Leo has simply set some accents that are not new, but which have been completely overlooked in recent years.
Leo’s speeches have been praised by prominent cardinals – such as Cardinals Raymond Burke and Robert Sarah – for emphasizing a more Christological focus.
Other analysts also have highlighted two styles in Leo’s speeches based on – it is believed – the ghost-writer he has inherited from Francis who lauds synodality and another who is more in line with Leo in his focus on spirituality.
Gänswein praised Leo’s texts for their depth and foundation in his Augustinian spirituality:
When you read his catechesis or sermons, you can sense that this is a man who lives and proclaims from the Augustinian spirit. And you can also see this in the two texts mentioned, which quote Augustine extensively, that is, a spirit, a man who lives out the spirit of his order’s founder and who now, in his role as Bishop of Rome, the supreme shepherd of the Church, plays the leading role worldwide and indeed proclaims the Word of God joyfully and convincingly.
Yet one key aspect which troubles Gänswein is the continued presence of synodality in the Church – a topic which is still continuing under Leo XIV. During the recent Extraordinary Consistory cardinals requested that clarification be given on what synodality means, and this – coming from a College of Cardinals which was mostly created by Pope Francis and who mostly participated in the Synod on Synodality – is a notable step.
This correspondent has previously opined that Leo seems to be utilizing the method and language of synodality, yet moving it away from the permissive style of Pope Francis and transforming it into a platform for raising genuine issues. There is anticipation that the annual consistories will also serve this purpose.
But Gänswein urged caution regarding synodality as a whole. Referencing the requests for clarifying the term, he said:
There has been discussion back and forth for years now, and a number of demands have been made. But what? Unfortunately, there is still no clarification regarding the term. And as long as I don’t have a clear definition, as long as I don’t know exactly what it means, it is also difficult to talk about the desire to remain in dialogue within the Church or to enter into dialogue. If that is “synodality,” then it’s okay.
But my impression is that a whole series of hidden demands are being concealed under the cloak of the word “synodality” and that certain goals are being pursued that have nothing to do with synodality or synods at all.
Such an opinion is by no means limited to the German prelate, and has perhaps most prominently been shared by Hong Kong’s Cardinal Joseph Zen. Just this week Zen suggested that ardent “henchmen” loyal to the style of Pope Francis “hijacked” the consistory and “did their best to prevent the Cardinals from expressing their views.”
During the pre-conclave General Congregations Cdl. Zen warned that the future outcome of the Synod would be vital for the Catholic Church:
The electors of the next Pope must be aware that he will bear the responsibility of either continuing this synodal process or decisively halting it. This is a matter of life or death for the Church founded by Jesus.
In many ways the Synod on Synodality has echoed key elements – in both themes and style – of the German Synodal Way. Though the Synod has not condoned the heterodox demands made by the German Synodal Way, they resemble each other in key ways including the equal voting rights given to laity and clergy and the toleration of questioning Catholic doctrine.
On this point, Gänswein was firm: “a number of the demands of the “[German] Synodal Way” lead away from faith, i.e., they are not a clarification that leads to faith, but quite deliberately lead away from faith.”
He admitted the possibility of genuine reforms in the Church on “implementation,” but noted that “red line” that must be drawn when a ‘reformer’ “no longer represents the Catholic line on questions of morality, ethics, the sacramental structure of the Church, or the official authority of bishops.”
Given that many cardinals have warmly praised Leo for re-instigating the consistories and allowing their necessary discussions to take place once again – for the first time since the last consistory in 2014 – Gänswein will likely echo the hopes of many for Leo’s own relationship with synodality going forward.
Then...honor and buttress up TLM!
Stop the convoluted "word salads' that mean one thing to the Bergoglios Ver 2.0 and the faithful.
Speak with TRUTH, HONOR, and CLARITY.
It’s not normality until Pope Leo puts on the red shoes