A jewel from Joan: Life can often be unfair but you don’t have to be!
Three cardinals attending the consistory are expected to hold a press conference with journalists at 8 pm Rome time this evening.
POPE LEO TELLS CONSISTORY CARDINALS “I AM HERE TO LISTEN”
Yesterday afternoon the cardinals met in the first session of the two-day consistory, sitting at 21 tables around the Paul VI Hall, a setup similar to the synod of bishops held there in the fall of 2024. Cardinals who live in Rome and/or work in the Vatican and Roman Curia sit at a number of the tables, whereas cardinals from dioceses around the world occupy the other tables. (Vatican photos)
Wednesday afternoon, Leo opened the consistory with an address to the assembled cardinals: Full homily in English here): Discorso del Santo Padre Leone XIV in apertura del Concistoro Straordinario.
“While unity attracts, division scatters,” he noted. “It seems to me that physics also confirms this, both on the microscopic and macroscopic levels. Therefore, in order to be a truly missionary Church, one that is capable of witnessing to the attractive power of Christ’s love, we must first of all put into practice his commandment, the only one he gave us after washing his disciples’ feet: “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” He then adds: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Saint Augustine observes: “This is why he loved us, so that we too might love one another. By loving us, he gave us the help we need to bind ourselves together in mutual love, and, bound together by such a pleasing bond, we are the body of such a mighty Head.”
Leo XIV mentioned the four topics he had suggested for the consistory – a missionary Church, synodality, liturgy and Vatican reform – and said, “in order to encourage a genuinely in-depth analysis, only two of them will be discussed specifically. While each of the twenty-one groups will contribute to the choice that we will make, the groups that will be reporting will be those nine coming from the local Churches, since it is naturally easier for me to seek counsel from those who work in the Curia and live in Rome.”
The cardinals chose synodality and mission as the two consistory themes.
Importantly, said Pope Leo, “I am here to listen. As we learned during the two Assemblies of the Synod of Bishops of 2023 and 2024, the synodal dynamic implies a listening par excellance.” He added, “This day and a half together will point the way for our path ahead. We must not arrive at a text, but continue a conversation that will help me in serving the mission of the entire Church.”
He closed by stating, “Tomorrow, we will discuss the two chosen themes, with the following question as a guide: Looking at the path of the next one or two years, what considerations and priorities could guide the action of the Holy Father and of the Curia regarding each theme?
The Holy Father presided at Mass this morning with the 170 members of the 242-member of the College of Cardinals who are in Rome for the first consistory of his papacy. His homily can be read here: Weekday of the Christmas Season: 8 January – Holy Mass – Calendar of Activities | Vatican.va
Joan's Rome 