Pope Leo Picks Pro–Women’s Ordination Priest to Lead One of the Church’s Most Influential Dioceses

Josef Grünwidl’s appointment to Vienna is Leo XIV’s clearest signal yet: diversity of thought is welcome at the top.

Pope Leo XIV has made his most significant appointment to date by naming Father Josef Grünwidl as the new Archbishop of Vienna — a prominent post traditionally held by a cardinal.

This is the first cardinalatial see that Leo has filled, and it’s a striking choice.

Grünwidl, 62, isn’t a typical candidate for such a high office.

A native of Lower Austria and long-time pastor in Vienna, he previously belonged to a reformist priests’ movement that advocated women’s ordination, ending mandatory celibacy, and other controversial changes.

Although he eventually left that “Pastor’s Initiative,” Grünwidl has continued to voice the need for open discussion on women’s roles in the Church.

He even said there is an “urgent need for clarification” on the topic of women in ministry — suggesting that the female diaconate should be explored and even that women cardinals are conceivable.

By choosing a one-time agitator for women’s ordination to lead Austria’s largest diocese, Pope Leo is sending a clear signal that he values a diversity of opinion on hot-button issues.

Openness Without Changing Doctrine — For Now

What makes this appointment even more remarkable is that Pope Leo XIV himself has been cautious about changing Church law on ordaining women. In his first interview as pope, Leo stressed he had “no intention of changing the teaching of the Church” on ordination “at present."

He has positioned himself as a guardian of Catholic doctrine and an advocate of dialogue — maintaining traditional teaching while keeping conversations that his predecessors began.

By elevating Grünwidl, who once championed ideas like female priests and married clergy, Leo shows he’s not afraid to welcome reform-minded voices into leadership. It mirrors Pope Francis’s approach of openness, even as formal rules remain unchanged.

In effect, Leo XIV is affirming that bishops who hold differing perspectives can still be “worthy” shepherds in the Church’s hierarchy, so long as they serve with what Grünwidl calls “critical obedience” rather than open defiance of Church authority.

This nuanced stance — change by conversation, not decree — highlights Leo’s commitment to unity in diversity.

A Blow to Conservative Hopes

Grünwidl’s nomination is also a blow to the Catholic right wing, who had eagerly hoped Pope Leo would reverse the course set by Pope Francis.

When Leo XIV (Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost) was elected earlier this year, many traditionalists reacted with alarm, seeing him as “definitely on the Pope Francis trajectory” rather than the rollback of reforms they wanted.

Since then, Leo’s actions have largely confirmed those fears.

In fact, this isn’t the first time he’s elevated a priest supportive of women’s ordination.

Back in May, Leo approved a new Swiss bishop who openly predicted that “the women’s priesthood will come,” a move that LifeSiteNews angrily denounced as confirming a heretic.

Now, by handing the influential Vienna archdiocese to Grünwidl, Leo XIV has doubled down on that trajectory.

Conservative Catholic commentators who dreamed that a new pope named Leo XIV might herald a return to old-school orthodoxy are once again disappointed. Instead of a sharp turn backward, Leo is charting a path of continuity with Francis — one that balances doctrinal fidelity with bold pastoral inclusivity.

This Vienna appointment makes that path unmistakably clear, and it underscores that the Church under Leo XIV welcomes internal debate and diverse perspectives, even as it holds the line on formal teachings for now.

The message to the world and to the Church’s own theologians is unmistakable: Pope Leo’s vision is one of a Church unafraid of progress and conversation, much to the chagrin of those who hoped for a restoration of the past.

Letters from Leo is open to anyone who wants to be informed and inspired by our pope — and to turn that inspiration into action that leaves America and the world more just, less cold, and more alive with hope.

If you want to support this mission, here’s how you can help:

• Subscribe as a paid member to receive exclusive posts about the life and formation of Pope Leo and help sustain this newsletter.

• Donate with a one-time gift to fuel this project’s mission.

• Share this post (and Letters from Leo) with a friend who might enjoy it.

Whether you give $0, $1, or $1,000, your presence here matters — no matter your faith or your politics.

Thank you for reading. I’ll see you on the road.