Pope Leo XIV’s decision to appoint Archbishop Vittorio Francesco Viola as Archpriest of St Peter’s Basilica will understandably unsettle Catholics attached to the traditional Roman liturgy. A prelate closely associated with the restrictions of the Francis pontificate now assumes responsibility for the basilica to which those Catholics make pilgrimage precisely to express their communion with Peter. His departure from Divine Worship creates an opportunity for change, but his arrival at St Peter’s offers little immediate reassurance.
The appointment, announced on 10 October, places Viola in the three offices previously held by Cardinal Mauro Gambetti: Archpriest of St Peter’s, Vicar General for Vatican City and President of the Fabric of St Peter. Bishop Aurelio García Macías, previously undersecretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, succeeds him as secretary. These are substantial responsibilities, and Viola’s transfer cannot plausibly be described as his disappearance into institutional obscurity.
To understand the concern, however, we need to distinguish the record from the rhetoric surrounding it. Viola’s reputation does not rest entirely on hostile descriptions in traditionalist publications. There is documentary evidence of a restrictive approach, and the most revealing example is his correspondence with Archbishop Peter Comensoli concerning the traditional Mass in Melbourne. In a letter dated 18 April 2024, signed by Viola, the dicastery permitted celebrations according to the 1962 Missal in two parish churches for a further two years, while refusing permission for St Patrick’s Cathedral. Its reasoning was significant: the cathedral should exemplify the liturgical life of the diocese, and the older liturgy was considered inappropriate there. Future requests were to include information about attendance and the steps taken to lead these congregations towards the reformed liturgy.
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