Pope Leo XIV amended the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches through the Apostolic Letter "Mutua concordia", granting Synods of Bishops the power to depose their respective patriarchs in situations of serious rupture of ecclesial communion. The decision aims to fill a gap in Catholic canon law to resolve cases in which the bond between the patriarch and the remaining bishops becomes irreparably compromised.
The deposition process requires that the patriarch first be invited to resign voluntarily before the Synod proceeds to the vote. Removal can only be approved by secret vote of at least two thirds of the members with voting rights, with the Pope subsequently giving assent to the synodal decision.
The new norms also establish the obligation to guarantee the patriarch concerned "the right to full defense before the Synod," safeguarding justice against any formal accusation. Leo XIV explained that he reserved for himself only the granting of assent, seeking to avert any "undue internal or external pressures" and guarantee the full freedom of the priests in the process.
