Leo XIV expels priest for open defiance of papal authority

The case dates back to 2023, when a dialogue with Vegara Cerezo was initiated following the publication of a 20-page manifesto in which he labeled Pope Francis a “heretic” and questioned the validity of his election. The now former priest also criticized texts such as the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, by the late Argentine pontiff, and the declaration Fiducia Supplicans, by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

In 2024, Vegara Cerezo’s obstinacy led his bishop, José Ignacio Munilla, to remove him from any office or position within the diocese. Munilla warned Vegara Cerezo in February 2024 and April 2025, urging him to alter his “posture expressed publicly and conspicuously through various media,” according to a statement issued by the Diocese of Orihuela-Alicante on June 25, 2026. In September 2025, Bishop Munilla issued a new decree prohibiting Vegara Cerezo from making public statements in the media — a move that Vegara decided to turn to the Vatican Dicastery for Clergy.

After this, and after another article by Vegara Cerezo, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith asked him to retract his offense of schism. Faced with his failure to provide a satisfactory response, on April 30 Pope Leo decreed that he be dismissed from the clerical state—a decision that was communicated to him on June 20.

In his statement on the matter, Bishop Munilla asked for prayers for Francisco José Vegara Cerezo and recalled the words spoken by Pope Leo XIV on June 11 in the Canary Islands, during a meeting with Spanish bishops, priests, religious and seminarians: “When you encounter difficulties, look up and ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to live united in faith, hope and charity.”

What is schism?

Canon 751 of the Code of Canon Law defines schism as “the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him”. The penalty for this canonical offense is usually excommunication, although in this case the penalty was less severe: dismissal from the clerical state.

What does it mean for a priest to be dismissed from the clerical state?

A priest remains a priest forever; however, if he is sanctioned with dismissal or expulsion from the clerical state, he loses all rights associated with that state. Consequently, he is no longer bound by celibacy and is prohibited from celebrating mass, administering sacraments or presenting himself as a priest. There is only one exception: if a person is in danger of death and the priest who has been dismissed from the clerical state is present, Canon 976 establishes that he can validly administer the sacraments, as the salvation of souls takes precedence over the grave penalty imposed on the priest.

©2026 Catholic News Agency. Published with permission. Original in English: Pope Leo XIV dismisses schismatic Spanish priest https://www.ewtnnews.com/vatican/pope-leo-xiv-dismisses-spanish-priest-from-clerical-state-for-schism