Pope Leo XIV received Cardinal Willem Jacobus Eijk, Archbishop of Utrecht, this Monday, August 10. The meeting comes after several months of health issues that prevented the Dutch prelate from participating in the two extraordinary consistories held this year.
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Eijk, 73, continues to lead the Archdiocese of Utrecht. Although his recent medical problems and absences have raised questions about a possible early resignation, neither the cardinal nor the archdiocese have announced that he has submitted his resignation, nor is there any indication that this matter was discussed with the Pope.
Absent from two consistories due to health reasons
Since late 2025, the cardinal has been going through a delicate period of health. After experiencing fatigue and breathing difficulties, he had to undergo treatment and rest. His recovery extended into February after being hospitalized for several days due to a facial infection.
These circumstances prevented him from attending both the extraordinary consistory in January and the one held at the end of June. According to Ad Vaticanum, Eijk is currently spending a few days of rest in Rome.
The archbishop had previously faced significant medical issues. In 2001, he suffered a cerebral stroke that kept him away from his episcopal duties for several months, and in 2021 he again required a prolonged recovery period after hospitalization.
A firm voice on doctrinal matters
Created a cardinal by Benedict XVI in 2012, Eijk is one of the most recognizable voices of the European episcopate on issues of morality and bioethics. A physician by training, he has publicly defended Catholic teaching on life, marriage, and sexuality, opposed blessings for same-sex couples, and even called for an encyclical against gender ideology.
Last March, he also celebrated his first pontifical Mass according to the traditional Roman rite, a significant gesture after having remained relatively on the sidelines of liturgical controversies for years.