The Lepanto Institute has formally requested Pope Leo XIV to suspend and laicize a priest from the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, in New Mexico, who allegedly maintained a homosexual “domestic union” for ten years while in a prolonged period of absence from priestly ministry, as reported by the organization itself.
The request refers to Fr. Steve Rosera, who, according to a report published by Lepanto in August 2025, allegedly formalized said relationship in California during a 28-year leave from the public exercise of the priesthood. The institute claims to have sent to the Apostolic Nuncio in the United States, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, a copy of the report along with notarized judicial documents related to the dissolution of that union.
Request for Canonical Sanctions
In its letter to the nuncio, the Lepanto Institute requests that the documentation be delivered to Pope Leo XIV via diplomatic channels and that the canonical sanctions provided for serious violations of priestly celibacy be imposed, specifically suspension from ministry and reduction to the lay state.
The organization states that the request comes after more than six months without the Archbishop of Santa Fe, John Wester, having taken disciplinary measures. Lepanto further claims that, despite knowing the facts, the archbishop has kept the priest in pastoral functions and even appointed him to positions of responsibility within the archdiocese.
Appointments and Controversy
According to the report, Fr. Rosera was reinstated to active ministry and currently holds functions as parish priest, responsible for a parish school, and judge of the diocesan marriage tribunal. The organization assures that the situation is known in the local ecclesiastical sphere and that some faithful have expressed concern.
The institute also notes in its communication that parents of students from the school linked to the parish have expressed concern about the situation and about the positions attributed to the priest in relation to Catholic moral teaching.
Reaction from the Archdiocese
During a priestly convocation held last year, a presbyter publicly questioned Archbishop Wester about the case, and the archbishop rejected the accusations, describing the reports as false and harmful.
To date, there is no public record of an official response from the Archdiocese of Santa Fe to Lepanto’s request addressed to the apostolic nuncio, nor a pronouncement from the Holy See on the matter.
A Request Elevated to Rome
In its letter, the Lepanto Institute requests that the Holy Father examine the judicial documentation and the presented report and that, in light of the alleged facts, determine the eventual application of the penalties provided by canon law.
The final decision would correspond to the Holy See, which must assess both the facts and the legal circumstances of the case in accordance with the current discipline of the Church.