Leo XIV on the Marian and Petrine principles: a possible opening?

Pope Leo XIV interpreted a theological principle that had previously been used to justify the exclusively male priesthood in the Catholic Church more openly than his predecessors. He made his comments in a sermon on Monday in St Peter's Basilica in front of around 4,000 Vatican employees, including hundreds of priests, bishops and many cardinals.

In terms of content, he spoke about the "Marian" and "Petrine" principles in the Church. The terms were coined by the Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988).

They refer to the special role of Mary as the mother of the Church and the role of Peter and the exclusively male apostles as recorded in the Bible. Based on these very different roles, it has so far been argued, including by Leo's predecessor Francis, that only men can receive an ordained ministry in the succession of Peter, while the Church as a whole is "feminine" like Mary and "fruitful" in works of charity.

On this subject, the new Pope said: "The fruitfulness of the Church (...) is realised in the existence of its members to the extent that they (...) love as Jesus loved." He went on to say: "In fact, this fruitfulness of Mary and the Church is inseparable from her holiness, that is, from her being conformed to Christ." The Holy See lives "in the holiness of each of its members."

Holiness not only for priests

With regard to the men and women working in the Vatican, the Pope explained: "The best way to serve the Holy See is therefore to endeavour to be holy, each of us, according to our state in life and the task entrusted to us." This applies to priests as well as to fathers and mothers of families. St Peter is "supported by Mary in his ministry". Mother Church also supports the ministry of Peter's successors with the Marian charism.

The Pope continued:"The Holy See experiences in a very special way the co-presence of the two principles, the Marian principle and the Petrine principle. And it is the Marian principle that guarantees the fruitfulness and holiness of the Petrine principle with its motherhood, a gift of Christ and the Holy Spirit".

Leo XIV did not explicitly state whether he maintained that the so-called Petrine principle should continue to be reserved exclusively for men. He left open what the "co-presence" of both principles at the centre of the Church would mean in practice.

Before the service, Pope Leo XIV had led a Holy Year pilgrimage of several thousand Vatican employees through the Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica on Monday morning. Prior to this, they had all listened together to the Italian nun Maria Gloria Riva. She had emphasised that the hope of the Church lies neither in clinging to outdated traditions nor in illusory visions of the future. (KNA)