VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV has yet to respond to a request for an audience from a major traditional Catholic pilgrimage to Rome, nine months after organizers formally asked to meet him.
The organizers of the annual Summorum Pontificum pilgrimage, which will take place in Rome from October 23-25, requested an audience with Pope Leo in a letter personally delivered to the Pope by Bishop Athanasius Schneider at the Vatican in December 2025, according to a report by Edward Pentin. The letter was signed by two lay representatives of the pilgrimage and sought an opportunity for the Pope to meet a large group of traditional Catholic faithful from around the world. As of writing, no papal audience had been confirmed.
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As reported by Pentin, the absence of a response comes despite Pope Leo having expressed a desire to meet Catholics attached to the Traditional Roman rite. In an interview with Vatican journalist Elise Ann Allen published in September last year, Leo said that he had not yet had the opportunity “to really sit down with a group of people who are advocating for the Tridentine rite.” He added, “There’s an opportunity coming up soon, and I’m sure there will be occasions for that.”
The Pope also indicated that any discussion with traditional Catholics could form part of the synodal path. “That is an issue that I think also, maybe with synodality, we have to sit down and talk about,” Leo said.
The Pope’s calendar contains no publicly announced engagement with the pilgrimage during its three day visit. As highlighted by Pentin, Pope Leo has continued in the meantime to receive a broad range of groups in audience.
An Italian source known to LifeSiteNews said that “the Pope’s agenda is in the hands of Leonardo Sapienza; he is its master.” The same source claimed that “often even cardinals and senior figures in the dicasteries complain that they cannot get audiences with the Pope.”
Leonardo Sapienza, RCI, served as Regent of the Prefecture of the Papal Household since August 4, 2012. The Prefecture is responsible for organizing the Pope’s public, special, and private audiences, in consultation with the Secretariat of State, when required. On February 9, 2013, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Sapienza to the College of Apostolic Protonotaries.
Asked about Sapienza’s background, another source told us that he had been “in the Vatican since the eve of Benedict XVI’s resignation, when there was a series of programmatic turnovers,” adding that one could “imagine what kind of person he is.” The source did not provide further details substantiating that characterization.
A third Roman source close to the organizers of the Summorum Pontificum pilgrimage confirmed that “the letter to the Pope was sent nine months ago requesting two things: the use of St. Peter’s Basilica for the pontifical Mass to be celebrated by Bishop Athanasius Schneider, and a private audience with the Holy Father.” As previously reported by LifeSiteNews, permission for the pontifical Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica was ultimately denied.
“At first, we received no response on either request,” the source said. “After we renewed the request, we received a negative reply from the administrative offices of St. Peter’s Basilica, but only regarding permission for the Mass. We then submitted a third request, copying the Secretariat of State, from which we received confirmation of the denial, with the clarification that it applied ‘for this year.’ As for the audience, however, we have received no response whatsoever.”
Commenting on the refusal to allow the Mass in St. Peter’s, the source added: “We believe the unexpected prominence the pilgrimage received last year may have caused some unease within the Curia.”
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The Pontifical Mass to be celebrated by Schneider will take place in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, thanks to the permission of Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, the basilica’s archpriest. The pilgrimage is expected to maintain its traditional stop at St. Peter’s Basilica, where participants will at least be able to pray at the tomb of the Apostle Peter.
“However,” the same source close to the organizers added, “questions have recently arisen regarding the customary devotional visit to St. Peter’s Basilica, as we were informed that it would also require the approval of the Secretariat of State.” As of the time of publication, that authorization had not yet been granted.
“Despite these significant and deeply disappointing setbacks, the pilgrimage will still be attended by Catholics attached to the Church’s Tradition from around the world. The entire event, including both its devotional activities and its main conference, will be covered by the Italian website Messainlatino,” the source concluded.