THOU SHALT GO

Pope Francis Replaces Conservative Archbishop Charles Chaput as Head of Troubled Philadelphia Archdiocese

The pontiff announced he’d accepted the retirement of one of his staunchest U.S. critics, who once called for remarried and gay Catholics to abstain from sex.

In a move that will undoubtedly cement the divide between the conservative and progressive wings of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis announced Thursday that he would be replacing one of his harshest critics as the head of the troubled Philadelphia archdiocese. In a statement to Vatican-accredited media, the pope announced he’d accepted the resignation of Archbishop Charles Chaput, who was required to tender it at the age of 75 in September. Mandatory resignations are often seen as a way to gauge a bishop or archbishop’s favor with the pope, who often chooses not to accept them. Chaput has become increasingly vocal in his criticism of Francis’s pontificate, following a hard line taken by traditionalists who believe the Argentinian pontiff is “watering down” doctrine by extending a hand to marginalized Catholics. Twitter immediately lit up after the announcement was made, calling Chaput’s outing another step toward an all-out schism in the church. Supporters of the pope instead said that in accepting Chaput’s resignation, Francis sends a message that, despite substantial pushback, he still hopes to modernize the ancient Catholic Church. Chaput famously called on divorced and remarried Catholics and gay couples to abstain from sex, even if they are married. Cleveland Bishop Nelson J. Perez, who has expressed support for Francis, will take over the Philadelphia archdiocese, which has been embroiled in the clerical sex scandal for years, including in 2018 when a Pennsylvania grand jury found that more than 300 priests had abused more than 1,000 children over the last several decades.