Leo XIV: Three signals from his first consistory

No concrete results came from Leo XIV’s first extraordinary consistory, which took place over two days, Jan. 7-8. None were expected.

Nearly two hundred cardinals participated in the talks, which focused – per the cardinals’ own choice – on evangelization and synodality, two of the four themes Leo proposed for their consideration.

The liturgical question was set aside – for now – as was discussion of Pope Francis’s reform of the Roman Curia, though Leo also made it clear that those two subjects could not remain on the sidelines indefinitely.

The red hats met in working groups with various speakers, and the pope wasn’t always with the cardinals.

Leo avoided the first day’s group discussions, only joining at the beginning and for the conclusions. He wanted the cardinals to discern serenely and discuss freely all matters, among themselves.

When he did speak to frame the days’ work, in fact, he stressed that the consistory is a time to listen and reflect on challenges ahead. He asked all the cardinals to consider the Church’s priorities for the next two years.

Three guiding principles emerge from Leo XIV’s first consistory:

• Prioritising the life of faith – and specifically religious life – over bureaucratic organization.

• Striving for balance in synodality.

• Fostering communion within the Church in response to global challenges.

These principles together form the central argument of the consistory’s approach.

The priority given to religious life can be deduced first of all from the fact that Leo XIV wanted the first session of the Consistory to be coordinated by Cardinal Ángel Artime, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Religious Life.

Generally, it is the Secretariat of State, as the papal secretariat, that handles coordination. Even the initial convocation of the consistory, came not however, came from the dean of the College of Cardinals, but from the Secretariat of State. Everything, therefore, suggested that the Secretariat of State would assume a central role. It did, at least in the preparation of the consistory.

The pope’s emphasis on religious life is interesting for several reasons. Leo XIV made it clear from the start that the consistory is a community of faith, not a team of experts. It was a powerful and an important message. The pope faced a synodal debate that often seemed reduced to functional terms, and countered with a vision of faith, nourished above all by community.

An Augustinian friar, Leo favors such an approach alsomt as second nature, something baked into his religious personality. Being part of a community also lets him detach from problems, avoiding self-absorption. By putting religious life at the centre, he invited the cardinals to do the same. He effectively proposed an antidote to enmity. This was the basis of his Christmas address to Curia employees: “Can one be friends in the Curia?”

This friendship also fosters synodality.

The pope interprets synodality as listening. With the consistory, he called all cardinals to share responsibility. Yet balancing the synodal drive was – is – needed, and the Jan. 7-8 consistory followed the last synod assembly’s format: round tables, assigned seating, language groups, and a rapporteur for each group’s conclusions.

This structure does not allow for true parrhesia or frankness. No cardinal can feel confident entrusting his thoughts to a general summary, since such a summary inevitably dilutes his views.

If the goal is listening, a more traditional format may be better.

A general meeting gives each member time to speak, as in pre-conclave congregations. The working group format was communicated just two days before the consistory. We do not know whether Pope Leo was persuaded to use this format or whether he believes it is suitable for future consistories. It is also unclear if this was a compromise to avoid the impression of breaking from Pope Francis.

We do know that Leo XIV discussed synodality in his first speech as pope and has kept Francis’s legacy alive with minor reforms. He restored the central sector for the diocese of Rome.

The consistory – that will be summoned on an annual basis – supersedes the Council of Cardinals and broadens the consultative platform. There may have been a need not to seem to break too completely with the past. It remains to be seen how things develop.

Certainly, the pope called for increased communion. Synodality and mission were chosen as the main topics. The pope made clear that the other issues—the reform of the Curia and the liturgical reform—also matter and should be discussed. Leo XIV does not want to act without consulting the cardinals, though he knows some decisions may be unpopular.

Leo XIV did not want to focus on governance. He spoke of the Church’s need to look outward and sought unity among diverse perspectives. This led to his request for Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe to give the opening meditation. Radcliffe explained that differences exist within the Church, but this does not lessen its unity.

Communion also requires working together. Leo XIV must take a stand on burning issues. He may not always balance past practices with his own approach. It is unlikely he will change doctrine, despite pressure, especially on topics like communion for divorced and remarried people or the female diaconate, which Radcliffe strongly supports. It remains unclear how the pope will address these challenges.

In his opening address, Leo XIV chose to quote Benedict XVI at Aparecida, and the idea of faith spreading by attraction. The pope focused, first and foremost, on evangelization, and this likely also influenced his choice of cardinals. Now is the time to govern. Meanwhile, there will be a generational change in the Curia. This generational change will also, in some ways, define the direction of the reforms. This pontificate must be closely watched.

The consistory, in short, marked the effective beginning of the Leonine pontificate in its own right.