Pope Leo: Peter’s Successor must retain his sovereign freedom
February 18, 2026
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CWN Editor's Note: In a February 18 audience with members of the Pro Petri Sede association, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of the Roman Pontiff’s sovereign freedom.
Recalling the Belgian association’s support for the papacy since its 19th-century founding, Pope Leo said that “the Bishop of Rome has received from Christ the task of gathering the faithful people into unity and proclaiming the Gospel of Salvation throughout the earth; and the charism of his Successors implies the sovereign freedom to do so.”
“Yet the proclamation of the Kingdom is hindered in many places throughout the world, and in many ways,” Pope Leo continued. “How important it is, therefore, in the troubled times in which we live, that ‘Peter’ retain his complete freedom to speak the truth, denounce injustice, defend the rights of the weakest, promote peace, and above all proclaim Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, the only possible hope for a reconciled humanity.”
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