According to the Vatican press office (Monday), he received the German-born auxiliary bishop in Astana, Athanasius Schneider, in the Vatican this morning.
The Vatican did not initially provide any further details.
Schneider (63) is one of the conservative critics of Pope Francis' moral theological openings. Among other things, he rejects the admission of remarried divorcees to the Eucharist and the church's blessing of homosexual couples.
In 2018, it became known that the Vatican had restricted Schneider's freedom to travel by means of a verbal warning from the Pope's ambassador to Kazakhstan.
Schneider, who frequently appears outside of the country, subsequently denied that the Vatican had restricted his freedom to travel.
During his visit to Kazakhstan in September 2022, the Pope and other bishops from the region also met with Schneider.