Despite the obvious differences in the outfits above, the two men hold the same ecclesiology.  In Leo XIV’s very short opening speech on 8 May 2025, he favorably mentioned “Francis” twice, indicating he would continue all his reforms.  In that short speech, he also honored Peru, where he had been bishop.  (It should be noted that in Peru, Bishop Prevost had once promoted the sacramental-heresy of phone confessions being valid.  He also publicly stated that the abortion-tainted COVID-19 vaccine had to be “available for all.”)

But the most important thing he said from the loggia in his acceptance speech last week was: “To all you brothers and sisters of Rome, Italy, of all the world, we want to be a synodal church, walking and always seeking peace, charity, closeness, especially to those who are suffering.”

Again, he said the church he governs is “synodal.” He never once said the word “Catholic” in his acceptance speech.

What exactly is a synodal church?  It is a protestant church.  If you think that’s an exaggeration, just look at the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.  Mr. McCusker at LifeSite News summarizes the Vatican’s own points on the this:

  1. They will re-interpret Sacred Scripture so that it supports a “synodal” understanding of the papacy in which the pope is just a figurehead with no real authority (see Nos. 35 -39).
  2. They will give new meanings to the concepts of “authority” and “service” so that the real authority of the papacy will be destroyed (see Nos. 40-42).
  3. They will seek out ambiguous passages in the Church Fathers which could be deployed to provide a basis for a new understanding of the papacy (see Nos. 44-47).
  4. They will reinterpret the infallible teaching of Vatican I on the divine institution of the papacy by means of a new “hermeneutic,” which will bring Catholic doctrine into line with the views of the Orthodox and the Protestants (see Nos. 48-56).
  5. The same “hermeneutical approach” will be used to solve the “obstacle” of Vatican I’s infallible definitions of papal jurisdiction and papal infallibility. See (No. 57–73).
  6. They will reinterpret Vatican I in light of (I) Vatican II (see Nos. 61, 66, 72), (ii) a reconstruction of the real “intentions” of the Council Fathers at Vatican I (see No. 62-63) and (iii) a “distinction between the text and its interpretation” which will allow them to interpret the text in a way that suits their agenda (see Nos. 64-66).
  7. They will rehabilitate the previously condemned error that the exercise of infallibility requires the consent of the Church (see Nos. 72, 106).

Ultimately, their “synodal pope” will just be another Protestant minister:

  1. [The papacy] will have “a primacy of honor” only, with no real authority over Orthodox and Protestant believers who will be invited to come under its banner (see No. 76-80, 94-98).
  2. It will preside over a church which is synodal “at every level” and will therefore no longer be subject to authority, or possess the unity of faith, worship and government which are essential marks of the Catholic Church (see Nos 81-83).
  3. It will preside not by divine right, but simply because there is a “pragmatic argument” for “the need for a ministry of unity at the universal level” (see No. 62-68).

Again, the above is simply a summary of the Vatican’s own Dicastery website from 2024 on how they would interpret a future “synodal pope” as being equal to protestant leaders.  Then, in his opening speech from the loggia in 2025, Leo declared himself to be the pope of the “synodal church.”

I believe him.