The news about the upcoming extraordinary consistory of Leo XIV for January 7 and 8 is not new. However, the information has been dripping in these days. The Italian newspaper Il Giornale, which has had access to the letter sent by the Pontiff to the cardinals and which anticipated that the theme of the liturgy would be one of the main axes of the event, now brings us a programmatic letter that sets the agenda for the meeting with the objective of opening a broad reflection on the government of the Church and the role of the College of Cardinals
In the document, the Pope defines the consistory as a “moment of communion and fraternity, of reflection and exchange”, underscoring its function of support and counsel to the Roman Pontiff in the guidance of the universal Church. The letter, according to the Italian newspaper, seeks to actively involve the members of the College in the great ecclesial issues after the first months of the new pontificate.
Reference Documents and Proposed Themes
In view of the meeting, Leo XIV has asked the cardinals for prior preparation through the re-reading of the apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium and the study of the apostolic constitution Praedicate evangelium, — the document with which Francis reformed the Roman Curia in 2022—. The Pope invites to re-read these texts as a basis for a common reflection on the evangelizing mission of the Church and the relationship between the universal Church and the particular Churches.
Along with these documents, the Pontiff points out several topics of “special relevance” that must be addressed during the consistory, with the aim of fostering real exchange and shared discernment.
A New Protagonism of the College of Cardinals
Among the indicated axes is the Synod and synodality, which Leo XIV presents as instruments of effective collaboration with the Pope on the issues of greatest importance for the good of the Church. According to Il Giornale, this formulation reflects the will of the new Pontiff to strengthen the role of the College of Cardinals in the decision-making process, after a period in which its institutional weight was diluted.
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The letter also includes an explicit thanks to the cardinals for the support received since his election. In these seven months of pontificate, Leo XIV has held personal meetings with numerous members of the College, including cardinals over eighty years old, dedicating time to listening more than to intervening, in coherence with his personal style of government.
The Liturgical Question
Among the topics proposed for the consistory, the Pope also mentions the liturgy, inviting a “theological, historical, and pastoral” reflection oriented to “preserve the sound tradition and, nevertheless, open the way to legitimate progress”, in direct reference to Sacrosanctum Concilium.
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Although Il Giornale underscores the interest that this point has aroused in international media, the liturgy appears in the letter as part of a broader agenda centered on collegiality, the evangelizing mission, and the government of the Church