⛪ Bishop Kicanas Shares Tales of Pope Leo XIV's Tucson Visit | MORNING VOICE

A glimpse behind the ecclesiastical curtain reveals the struggle between progressive language and traditional doctrine

May 17, 2025

😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾

✝️ The Catholic Church has a temporary leader in Tucson named Bishop Kacanis while they wait for a new permanent bishop. He knows the new Pope personally because they're both from Chicago and like the same ⚾ baseball team. The Bishop talked about how the church wants more people to attend after many stopped coming during 🦠 COVID. He says they want to be welcoming to everyone, but some people think the church's rules still leave certain groups out. The Bishop also visited places where early Christian leaders traveled thousands of years ago.

🗝️ Takeaways

🔑 Bishop Gerald Kicanas has returned as temporary leader (Apostolic Administrator) for the Diocese of Tucson while Pope Leo XIV selects a permanent replacement
🏛️ The Catholic Church is struggling with declining attendance post-COVID and searching for ways to appear "inclusive" while maintaining traditional doctrines
⚾ The new Pope (formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost) has personal connections to Tucson and shares Chicago and White Sox fandom with Bishop Kicanas
🕊️ Despite rhetoric about "peace" and "inclusivity," the Church continues policies that exclude women from priesthood and limit LGBTQ+ participation
🌍 The Bishop recently returned from a pilgrimage following Saint Paul's missionary journey, celebrating conversion narratives while overlooking colonization's complex legacy

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Peace, Power, and Piety: Unpacking Bishop Kicanas's Morning Voice Interview

In the holy theater of Tucson's airwaves, a familiar ecclesiastical voice graced the Morning Voice last Friday. Bishop Gerald Kicanas, currently serving as Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Tucson, offered listeners a glimpse into the inner sanctum of Catholic leadership during this transitional period for both the local diocese and the global church.

Between friendly banter about baseball teams and sentimental reflections on pilgrimages, a fascinating portrait emerged of an institution struggling to maintain relevance in an increasingly secular world.

The Bishop Returns: Ecclesiastical Musical Chairs

After Bishop Weisenberger left to become Archbishop of Detroit (former Detroit Archbishop Adam Maida was made a Cardinal), the Vatican called Kicanas back to serve as a temporary shepherd for Tucson's Catholic flock. Having previously led the diocese for 15 years, Kicanas slipped effortlessly back into the role while the Pope deliberated on a permanent replacement.

"I served as Bishop, there were many challenges, obviously, and a great number of blessings," Kicanas reflected, in the practiced cadence of a man accustomed to balancing ecclesiastical diplomacy with pastoral warmth.

When asked about the highlights of his previous tenure, the Bishop emphasized relationship-building with priests and lay community members. "I think one of my hopes during the time I was Bishop was to try to help our laity to understand the role they play in the work of the church," he explained.

The Chicago Connection: A Pope Who Knows Tucson

Perhaps the most intriguing revelation was the Bishop's personal relationship with the newly elected Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost. Both men hail from Chicago, and according to Kicanas, they share an allegiance to the White Sox—a humanizing detail that momentarily transforms these powerful religious figures into regular guys bonding over baseball.

"We're both Chicagoans, we're both White Sox fans," Kicanas shared, before revealing that the new Pope had actually visited Tucson years ago when he was still Father Prevost.

"He came to the diocese of Tucson to see the school that was being planned at St. Augustine," Kicanas explained, noting that Prevost was considering whether the Augustinian fathers might serve at the school (they ultimately declined).

Isn't it fascinating how these power networks operate? The man who would become pope, touring schools in Tucson, making connections that would later prove useful. The Catholic Church: networking since 33 CE.

The Bishop described a moment during a recent visit with the then-Cardinal Prevost in Rome: "Pope Francis came into the room in his wheelchair, and he yelled out, I'm alive, so I'm back."

What a perfectly apt metaphor for the Catholic Church itself – wounded, mobility-restricted, but stubbornly declaring its continued existence.

The Pilgrim's Path: Walking in Saint Paul's Footsteps

The conversation took a geographical turn as Kicanas described his recent pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey, "walking in the footsteps of Saint Paul." With evident enthusiasm, he detailed visiting places like Ephesus and Corinth, where Paul preached.

"To actually be there in those places where he preached, where he taught, where he served is quite moving," Kicanas reflected, "especially because many of the masses we celebrated were outside, actually on the very site where Paul would have been speaking."

The romanticization of these ancient missionary journeys stands in stark contrast to the Church's historical role in the Spanish colonization of the Americas, where indigenous peoples of the Southwest—including those in the Tucson area—experienced forced conversions, cultural erasure, and land appropriation under the banner of salvation.

The Post-COVID Crisis: Searching for Relevance

In one of the interview's most revealing moments, host Dr. Ed Ackerly broached the subject of declining church attendance following the COVID-19 pandemic, asking the Bishop what could be done to make Catholicism "relevant and important and meaningful for people to come back home."

Kicanas responded by invoking Pope Francis: "I think Pope Francis really gave us a formula of how to encourage people to come back to the faith. And that is that the church be inclusive, that it be with open arms."

Inclusive? With open arms? This from an institution that still refuses to ordain women, considers homosexuality "intrinsically disordered," and continues to oppose reproductive rights? The cognitive dissonance is almost admirable in its audacity.

The Bishop continued, "You know, we hear so often today that our young people are discouraged, depressed, anxious, and I only wish they could discover the Lord and His love for them. And how consoling and renewing that would be."

Maybe, just maybe, young people are anxious and discouraged partly because powerful institutions like the Catholic Church continue to preach "love" while actively marginalizing LGBTQ+ youth, restricting women's autonomy, and perpetuating harmful ideas about sexuality and gender? Just a thought.

The Rhetoric of Joy and Peace

The conversation concluded with reflections on joy and peace—two concepts that, in principle, few could object to. Ackerly mentioned a conversation with his sister about churches in Portland, noting that "joy has to be the bedrock of coming to church on a Sunday and walking away feeling joyful and then living that out for the rest of the week."

Kicanas later highlighted that Pope Leo XIV's first word when appearing on the Vatican balcony was "peace," adding, "I think we're going to have a lot of fun. Certainly, his priorities will be to visit Ukraine, Gaza, and Israel. He wants to be a peacemaker. He always has been."

If You Want Peace, Work for Justice - St Paul's Cathedral

Peace is certainly needed in Ukraine and Gaza. But true peace requires justice—addressing root causes rather than simply praying over symptoms. Will this Pope challenge the military-industrial complex, confront colonial occupation, or merely offer platitudes while systems of oppression continue unchecked?

Bridging the Gulf Between Rhetoric and Reality

The Bishop's interview reveals the fundamental contradiction at the heart of today's Catholic Church: the growing gulf between inclusive, progressive rhetoric and the unchanged doctrinal positions that continue to exclude and marginalize.

When Kicanas speaks of inclusivity with "open arms" and the church as a "field hospital" for the hurting, he employs language that sounds remarkably progressive. But without substantive changes to doctrine on women's ordination, LGBTQ+ acceptance, reproductive rights, and power-sharing, these words ring hollow—especially in border communities like Tucson, where the Church's colonial legacy remains painfully evident in the marginalization of indigenous and Latino communities.

For progressive Catholics and those invested in genuine spiritual transformation, the challenge becomes navigating this disconnect—appreciating attempts at inclusivity while continuing to push for structural change that matches the rhetoric.

A Better Way Forward

Despite these critiques, there remains reason for hope. The very fact that Church leaders now feel compelled to adopt the language of inclusivity and openness reflects the successful pressure applied by progressive movements both within and outside the Church. Every time a Bishop speaks of open arms and field hospitals for the hurting, the door cracks open a bit wider for those demanding substantive change.

In Tucson's diverse religious landscape, there are already faith communities modeling truly inclusive practice—congregations that ordain women and LGBTQ+ individuals, honor indigenous spiritual traditions, and actively work against border militarization and immigrant detention. These communities demonstrate that spirituality and progressive values can coexist and even enrich one another.

For those seeking to build a more just spiritual landscape in the borderlands, supporting independent journalism that holds religious institutions accountable is essential. Your subscription to Three Sonorans enables us to continue providing critical analysis of religious and political power in our community.

Together, we can envision and create faith communities that truly embody the peace and joy that Bishop Kicanas speaks of—communities where inclusivity is practiced, not just preached; where historical injustices are acknowledged and addressed; and where all are truly welcome, regardless of gender, sexuality, or background.

What do you think about the Catholic Church's messaging versus its policies? Have you experienced the disconnect between inclusive rhetoric and exclusive practice in religious settings? How can faith communities in the borderlands better address historical injustices? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Quotes

"I think Pope Francis gave us a formula for encouraging people to come back to the faith. And that is that the church be inclusive, that it be with open arms." - Bishop Kicanas, discussing strategies to address declining church attendance while the institution maintains exclusionary policies
"You know, we hear so often today that our young people are discouraged, depressed, anxious, and I only wish they could discover the Lord and His love for them." - Bishop Kicanas, attributing youth mental health issues to spiritual disconnection rather than acknowledging systemic problems
"Pope Francis came into the room in his wheelchair, and he yelled out, I'm alive, so I'm back." - Bishop Kicanas, recounting an interaction that humanizes but also highlights the aging leadership of the Catholic Church
"You know, it's always exciting for me to participate in the baccalaureate masses that happen each year around this time." - Bishop Kicanas, discussing his role in religious ceremonies at Catholic schools, highlighting the intersection of education and religion
"To actually be there in those places where he preached, where he taught, where he served is quite moving, especially because many of the masses we celebrated were outside, actually on the very site where Paul would have been speaking." - Bishop Kicanas on his pilgrimage to Greece, celebrating missionary journeys without addressing colonization's legacy

People Mentioned

Bishop Gerald Kicanas - Former Bishop of Tucson for 15 years, now serving as Apostolic Administrator and temporary Bishop. "We're both Chicagoans, we're both White Sox fans," (speaking about his connection with Pope Leo XIV)
Pope Leo XIV (formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost) - Newly elected Pope who previously visited Tucson. "His first word on the balcony when he was introduced to the world was ‘peace.’"
Bishop Weisenberger - Former Tucson Bishop who was named Archbishop of Detroit, creating the vacancy Kicanas is temporarily filling
Pope Francis - The Previous Pope, Kicanas mentioned: "I think Pope Francis really gave us a formula for encouraging people to come back to the faith."
Saint Paul - Biblical figure whose missionary journeys Kacanis followed on his recent pilgrimage. "Paul was a missionary. He traveled all around the world on three missionary trips."
Bishop Moreno - Previous Bishop of Tucson, mentioned in relation to the Pope's earlier visit: "Actually, Pope Leo the 14th was here in Tucson. And regretfully,y the Augustinians weren't able to take the mission at the school, but actually there is a note from him to Bishop Moreno indicating that they didn't think at this point they could do that."
Dr. Ed Ackerly - Host of Morning Voice who conducted the interview and mentioned: "Joy has to be the bedrock of coming to church on a Sunday and walking away feeling joyful and then living that out for the rest of the week."

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