Pope Leo replaces Cardinal Paglia at John Paul II Institute

The Vatican on Monday replaced Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia as grand chancellor of the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences, appointing Cardinal Baldassare Reina to the post.

The Institute has a Washington campus located at the Catholic University of America, though its flagship campus is in Rome. It was there that Archbishop Paglia, 80, made personnel changes and curriculum overhauls around what he reportedly called a “new pastoral theology” drawing years of criticism.

While Archbishop Paglia remains president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, his removal from the John Paul II Institute marks a notable early move by Pope Leo XIV and one that some observers say signals the church’s return to a more traditional, less polarizing direction.

Cardinal Reina’s appointment restores a pre-2016 precedent: the Institute’s chancellor once again serves concurrently as the cardinal vicar of Rome.

Though not responsible for daily operations, the grand chancellor wields considerable influence on church matters, according to the Pillar.  

The chancellor’s responsibilities include nominating the Institute’s leadership and determining which professors receive canonical teaching licenses.

Cardinal Paglia, who was appointed by Pope Francis in 2016, drew criticism for overhauling the Institute’s curriculum and staff in 2019, ushering in what he called a “new pastoral theology.”

Critics said this curriculum leaned more on sociology than moral theology.

He faced further backlash for appointing figures like the Rev. Maurizio Chiodi, who has argued that artificial contraception could be morally responsible in some cases.

In public remarks, Archbishop Paglia also appeared to support legal frameworks for assisted suicide and referred to Italy’s abortion law as a “pillar” of national life.

By contrast, Cardinal Reina has maintained a low profile despite a meteoric rise through the Roman curia, culminating in his elevation to cardinal last December.

In a rare interview with The Pillar last year, he affirmed that “the Church does not need to adapt to the times but must act in such a way that the times adapt to the logic of the Gospel.”

Cardinal Paglia was also investigated in 2022 over a purported diversion of over 600,000 euros in donations from the Pontifical Council for the Family — claims he has denied. He has threatened but never filed a defamation suit against The Pillar for the Catholic outlet’s reporting on the matter.

His appointment is widely viewed as an effort to stabilize an institution once known for training students in Pope John Paul II’s “theology of the body,” but one critics say lost its identity under Archbishop Paglia.