'Bishop Schneider has said Pope Francis ‘showed great cordiality towards me and we spoke about some important themes on the life of the Church. Let us pray for Pope Francis that he might confirm the Church in the Faith.'
(LifeSiteNews) – Bishop Athanasius Schneider reported that his recent meeting with Pope Francis was friendly.
Today, British Vatican correspondent Edward Pentin revealed via X (formerly Twitter) that Schneider, the auxiliary bishop of Astana, Kazakhstan, had himself asked for Monday’s meeting with Pope Francis that took place at the Vatican and that Pope Francis had shown him "great cordiality."
Pentin tweeted, “Bishop Schneider has said Pope Francis ‘showed great cordiality towards me and we spoke about some important themes on the life of the Church. Let us pray for Pope Francis that he might confirm the Church in the Faith.’ +Schneider had asked for the meeting.”
American Vatican correspondent Diane Montagana also posted the news to X.
Bishop Schneider has been critical of aspects of Pope Francis’ teachings while maintaining that his papacy is legitimate.
Pope Francis has punished, sidelined, or demoted Catholic prelates who have taken exception to theological novelties he has pronounced, published, or encouraged. These include Cardinal Raymond Burke, once a leading member of the Curia; Cardinal Gerhard Müller, formerly the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, whom Francis has excommunicated, and Bishop Joseph Strickland, whom Francis has deprived of his Diocese of Tyler, Texas.
Bishop Schneider recently appeared in a Polish documentary explaining the “four marks” of the Catholic Church and defending an orthodox understanding of ecclesiology.
READ: New film about Catholic faith brings together Cardinal Müller, Bishop Strickland, Bishop Schneider
