How Pope Leo is Reshuffling the Curia: Musical Chairs and Power Games
Randazzo named Prefect for Legislative Texts as modernists are sidelined
by Serre Verweij
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Anthony Randazzo, formerly the Bishop of Broken Bay, as the new Prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts. He succeeds Archbishop Iannone, who was recently promoted to Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops—a role previously held by Pope Leo himself. Both Pope Leo and Iannone are seasoned canon lawyers with a history of opposing the German "Synodal Path" and resisting progressive attempts to undermine canon law in Rome. Randazzo appears to be a perfect fit for this emerging orthodox team.
Conservative Catholic commentator Scott Smith, a parishioner of the Broken Bay Diocese, notes that Randazzo is as conservative as Australian bishops come. During the Synod on Synodality, Randazzo opposed female deacons and the focus on "niche" Western concerns, such as LGBT issues. This is not his first stint in Rome; he served in the Curia at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI (2004–2009). He also stood with his fellow Australian bishops in 2015 to defend Cardinal Pell’s integrity and celebrated Pell’s unanimous 7-0 acquittal by the High Court in 2020.
In January, Pope Leo XIV also appointed Archbishop Carlo Roberto Maria Redaelli, another canon lawyer, as the new Secretary for the Dicastery for the Clergy. He replaces the Chilean Bishop Andrés Gabriel Ferrada Moreira—a key protégé of Pope Francis who has been sent back to a standard diocese in Chile. This appointment to the "number two" spot in the dicastery governing priests and seminaries immediately sparked conversation. While Redaelli’s track record is largely conventional and free of the "modernist activism" seen in prelates like Hollerich, Cupich, or Zuppi, rumors have circulated that he once criticized the Tridentine Mass. However, other sources dismiss this as "Italian gossip," noting that he largely ignored Traditionis Custodes in his own archdiocese.
The most immediate result of these shifts is clear: a "renegade" secretary with outsized influence under the previous pontificate has been replaced by an experienced, no-nonsense Italian canon lawyer. These compounding developments demonstrate two things:
Orthodox canon lawyers are becoming the power brokers under Leo, much as the Jesuits were under Francis.
Curial reform is accelerating.
What does this suggest for the future?
A Return to Normalcy and Competence
Randazzo’s appointment is a landmark for Pope Leo’s papacy; he is the first Prefect appointed from outside the Roman bubble. Alongside Redaelli, he is one of the few "outsiders" Leo has brought to Rome, and certainly the most powerful. In stark contrast to the personal favorites often appointed by Francis, Randazzo is a known quantity: a conservative prelate with the specific expertise and Curial background required for the job.
Beyond his Roman experience, Randazzo has a diverse and impressive resume. He has served as a seminary rector in Brisbane, a vocations director, and an associate judicial vicar. His education includes canon law studies in Rome and scripture studies in Jerusalem. He served as auxiliary bishop to the conservative Archbishop Anthony Fisher (a Pell protégé) before taking the reins at Broken Bay in 2019.
Randazzo also stood with Fisher and a resurgent George Pell against modernists during the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia. He famously called for a renewed focus on Christ rather than a "shopping list" of personal desires for "self-fulfillment." He has been a vocal critic of calls for a "New Church," arguing that such rhetoric rejects the Church founded by Christ, and has opposed attempts to expand lay roles at the expense of the priesthood. Furthermore, he stepped up to defend traditional seminaries in 2019 during a wave of anti-Catholic sentiment following the Royal Commission.
On the social front, he opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage in Australia and has been a staunch defender of religious freedom for Catholic schools. Notably, following Traditionis Custodes, he allowed the Tridentine Mass to continue at St. Benedict’s in Arcadia.
Restoring the Curia, Confronting the Germans
Randazzo will need to hit the ground running. He will play a pivotal role in helping Pope Leo navigate two primary challenges: the "restoration" of the Curia and the standoff with dissident German bishops. His history of opposing the "progressive hijacking" of synods likely made him an attractive candidate for Leo.
While Archbishop Iannone previously worked to pressure the German bishops away from heresy, the Germans have now officially approved their new "Synodal Council." Pope Leo must now decide whether to shut it down entirely, leave it in limbo, or demand further concessions. So far, he has kept them waiting. The promotion of Randazzo suggests that Leo has no interest in an olive branch; he is filling the Curia with men who fundamentally oppose the German "Synodal Way."
A "Cleansing" of the Curia and Nunciatures
Randazzo’s elevation follows the removal of Polish Cardinal Krajewski, who was sent back to Poland after decades in Rome. Krajewski, once a conservative under John Paul II, became a champion of Francis’s social agenda. His downfall may have been precipitated by "Lunch for the Poor" events that mirrored the controversial "transgender lunches" of the Francis era. Additionally, fellow Polish Cardinal Ryś recently claimed that Krajewski shared his view that Francis remained the "definitive" authority—a comment that likely sealed Krajewski's fate in the eyes of the new administration.
Leo replaced him with Bishop Luis Marín de San Martín. While technically a promotion, it moves Marín from the powerful Secretariat of the Synod to the more symbolic role of Almoner, effectively separating him from the ultra-modernist Cardinal Grech.
The "cleansing" extends to the Secretariat of State as well. While Leo is working with Cardinal Parolin for now, he has moved key Francis allies—like Monsignor Roberto Campisi—out of power. Rumors suggest the controversial "Sostituto" Edgar Peña Parra is also on his way out, likely to be replaced by the conservative Archbishop Paolo Rudelli.
Finally, the era of the "Council of Cardinals"—Francis’s hand-picked kitchen cabinet—is over. Its former secretary, Bishop Marco Mellino, has been "demoted" to a secondary role under Randazzo. Even Nuncios are not safe; Archbishop Jean-Marie Speich was abruptly retired from the Netherlands, and a key Francis ally in Argentina was moved to a low-profile post in Albania.
Conclusion
Pope Leo XIV is finally showing his hand. Unambiguously orthodox prelates are back in fashion, and canon law has returned to its supreme position. The era of personal favoritism is over. Those who expected Leo to institutionalize the "Francis Revolution" were mistaken.
The question now is which of Francis’s other policies will be reversed. Will the Curia return to the dominance it enjoyed under John Paul II? What is the future of the seminaries? These shifts suggest a papacy that is not just "conservative," but one intent on a total restoration of order.
