Pope Leo XIV held a private meeting this Saturday with the Archbishop of Santo Domingo, Monsignor Francisco Ozoria Acosta, amid the controversy generated by the recent appointment of a coadjutor archbishop with full administrative powers, a decision that in practice left Ozoria without control of the Archdiocese.
The audience took place a few hours after the Pontiff met with the prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, Cardinal Filippo Iannone, a Vatican body responsible for the investigations and recommendations prior to the appointment of the coadjutor. The order of the meetings caught the attention of ecclesial observers, given the importance of the case for the Dominican Church.You may be interested in: Monsignor Ozoria leads the celebration of Chrism Mass
Although the prelate’s trip to Rome was previously planned to participate in the Jubilee of the Choirs, the meeting with the Holy Father took on a special meaning due to the context of internal tension. Ecclesiastical sources consider that this meeting served for Ozoria to directly expose his position to the Pope.
The case has been followed since León XIV —then Cardinal Robert Prevost— was prefect of the dicastery for Bishops, a stage in which the process that led to the appointment of the coadjutor began. After his election as Pope, the issue continued on the agenda, including meetings with the apostolic nuncio in the Dominican Republic, Monsignor Piergigio Bertoni.Although the detailed content of the conversation is kept confidential, the meeting raises questions about the role Ozoria will play in the coming months, especially as the date approaches when, by canonical rule, he must submit his resignation upon reaching 75 years of age in October 2026.
The designation of a coadjutor with broad powers is not a frequent practice in the country and, as it is not linked to reasons of health or old age, has generated greater interest in the internal dynamics of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo.
