Pope Leo XIV Laicizes Spanish Priest Over Schism

Pope Leo XIV issued a decree on April 30 dismissing Francisco José Vegara Cerezo, a priest of the Orihuela‑Alicante diocese, from the clerical state after the priest repeatedly rejected papal authority and called Pope Francis a “heretic.” The dispute began in 2023 when Vegara Cerezo published a manifesto challenging Pope Francis and later the teachings of Amoris Laetitia and Fiducia Supplicans. Bishop José Ignacio Munilla removed him from all diocesan duties in 2024, barred him from media statements in 2025, and the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith asked him to retract his schismatic remarks. After Vegara Cerezo failed to comply, the Pope’s decree, communicated on June 20, stripped him of the rights of the clerical state, meaning he may no longer celebrate Mass, administer sacraments, or present himself as a priest, except in emergency situations. Bishop Munilla recalled the Pope’s words at a Canary Islands meeting: “When you encounter difficulties, lift your gaze and ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to live united in faith, hope, and charity.”