Pope Leo XIV addresses Vatican II disputes and awards pallium to new Archbishop of Vienna

Pope Leo XIV, who began his pontificate in May 2025, responded to journalists' questions about the planned ordinations of priests from the Society of St. Pius X. He said the society’s opposition to elements of the Second Vatican Council “wounds the unity of the Church” and warned that its rejection of council reforms threatens ecclesial cohesion.

On Monday, the pope will confer the pallium – a white woolen band with six black crosses – on the newly appointed Archbishop of Vienna, Josef Grünwidl, during a solemn Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. Grünwidl said the pallium “reminds me even more strongly of the task and the gift of being a shepherd for the people.” The ceremony will also include other metropolitan archbishops from Prague, New York, Kraków and Łódź.